It’s that time of year again when you pick out the perfect Christmas tree, decorate it beautifully, just to see it come crashing down at the hand of your beloved cat.
You don’t have to let your Christmas visions come crashing down with your ba humbug of a cat, there are actually ways that your Christmas tree and cat can live peacefully together – it is a Christmas miracle.
Here are a few tips to keep your lovely Christmas tree standing and your cat as far away from ruining it as possible.
Have you considered an artificial tree?
You might not think it is the same, and we understand, real Christmas trees have that great scent and have more of a personal touch, but just as humans love the feel and look of a real tree, so do cats and this can attract them. However, a fake tree might not actually keep your cats paws off it either so maybe this isn’t a sacrifice you need to make either.
The size might be the issue
Cats love to climb and when they see this giant, sparkly tree in their own house they will basically see it as an obstacle course. A smaller tree might just bore your cat and they will leave it in peace.
Anchor the tree to something
The best way to stop your tree from falling? Make it impossible to fall. By attaching string or guide wires to the walls, or even by getting a special, sturdy tree stand that won’t allow your tree to topple when your cat decides to go a bit wild, and pounce on it.
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Training your cat to not be mean to the tree
We all hate shouting at our beloved cats but, as you all probably know, it needs to be done. Before you decorate your tree, use your sharp parenting voice and say “no”, and with a squirt of water. This will probably work best for younger cats.
Scent Barriers
Perhaps some baubles or pine cones soaked in citronella could stop your cat going near the tree. Cats don’t like the smell of citrus and so this could act as a deterrent.
Decorate your tree wisely
Put the none dangly (and very tempting) baubles and ornaments away from the bottom of the tree. This way your cat won’t want to play with the giant, green toy in the living room.
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Take into consideration your cat’s safety
Your cat will be too tempted to chew on ribbons on tinsel under the tree which can be very dangerous, and any lights that are put on your tree should be unplugged, when nobody is there, to avoid any problems.
We hope this makes your Christmas a little bit more peaceful, but if it doesn’t – one of the unknown joys of Christmas are all the little mishaps that come with it. We would also love to hear your cat vs tree stories.