When painstakingly decorating your Christmas tree, the last thing you imagine is watching your festive fir, shaking, wobbling and toppling over. But if you have cats in your home, this is a very distinct possibility.
With their natural propensity and skill for climbing, it’s no surprise cats love the twinkling, exciting and new opportunity climbing your Christmas tree presents. But good news! Our cat behavior and pet-friendly design pros share eight ways to stop your cat rattling or racing up and down your tree.
Skip the chaos, mess and make sure your Christmas tree ideas – and all your precious baubles – stay upright and feline free.
7 smart ways to keep your cats out of the Christmas tree
1. Repel with aluminum
Have you ever seen those funny videos of kitchen countertops lined with aluminum foil, and cats bouncing off the material as soon as their little toe beans make contact? It’s not a myth, most cats really do hate the aluminum foil you buy at Walmart, and you can use this to aversion to curb their attempts to climb your tree before they even begun.
Cat pro Josh Wiesenfeld, founder of Boxie cat litter, explains, ‘One tip that did seem to work for me was wrapping aluminum foil around the base of the tree or placing it under the tree skirt. Generally, cats won't like the feel and sound of foil under their paws and will tend to stay away from the base, where they might feel the urge to climb.’
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2. Repel with natural scents cats hate
You can use a scent that cats often cannot stand to stop them getting too close to your tree in the first place. Use this tip alone, or in combination with others in this guide to bolster the chances your cats leave your festive offering alone.
Josh has personally had success with this method in his home. He says, ‘I use a combination of sprays to repel cats around the lower branches. Just a few drops of lemon or orange essential oil with water, sprayed lightly on the branches, does the trick. Cats are notorious in their dislike for citrus scents. It's essential that you spray lightly and test a tiny area first to make sure the scent is not sticking too long for human family members.'
It's a common theme in nature, as citrus scents in orange peel repels pests, too.
Elissa Hall is lead interior designer at Awning, and previously lead operations at Air BnB, creating pet-friendly spaces. She says, ‘I once placed a few scented orange sachets [available at Amazon] around a client's tree, and it quickly discouraged her two cats from exploring further. Pet-safe sprays are another option – spray lightly on the lower branches and base to keep the scent around without overpowering your space.’
Vet and animal behaviour expert D Mark McCalla of Alpine Dog adds, 'Place pine cones sprayed with rosemary or eucalyptus oil around and in your tree. Many clients have told me it not only keeps their cats away, but also adds a pleasant seasonal scent, making it a natural and aesthetic addition.
Subtly add already-festive looking natural pine cones to your tree, after adding a few drops of pure lemon essential oil, also available on Amazon to them. If you mix the fragrant oil with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil, the scent will last longer. Top up when no longer aromatic.
3. Position temptation out of immediate reach
Cats don’t see all colors but are drawn to yellow, gold, and blue, as well as new items in their environment. You can avoid these colors on your tree to dial down the temptation a bit. Alternatively, avoid placing feline- intriguing dangling ornaments and decor on the lower level of your Christmas tree.
Josh explains, ‘Decorating your tree with thoughtfulness makes quite a difference, too. For instance, I put fragile or sentimental ornaments up high, well out of reach, and leave the bottom branches light or with soft, unbreakable ornaments. This could prevent an accident in case my cats manage to paw at one by placing plastic ornaments on lower branches instead of glass. I've even used ornaments made of felt or wood on the bottom branches, which are far less tempting to chew on or bat around.’
Pet-friendly Interior design pro Elissa Hall adds, ‘Another subtle trick is to use smaller, lightweight ornaments near the bottom of the tree, which won’t attract as much attention. Avoid dangling tinsel, which can easily become a plaything and can be harmful if ingested. Instead, use thicker ribbons that are securely tied, which not only keeps the tree looking chic but also prevents hazards.’
Using physical barriers will also help and you can do it without ruining the aesthetic of your decor. Andrii Gurskyi, founder of Mr Glazier says, 'If you are looking for a more aesthetically appealing solution, you could have some decorative glass panels enclosing the bottom side of the tree. We at Mr. Glazier have made specific glass enclosures that would match the Christmas decor and ensure pets are not a cause for concern.'
If your cats do manage to get their paws on your baubles, there is no reason they have to break. Plump for shatterproof ornaments and save yourself the headache as you get to grips with keeping your cat out of the Christmas tree.
Keeping a physical barrier between your cats and the access point for an easy climb will help you train your cats out of this mischievous behaviour. Whilst you're at it, you might as well make the barrier look like part of your decor. Plus, it'll keep your presents neatly contained inside.
Place this discreetly under your tree and as soon as your cat moves within a range of three feet, it'll let out a loud pfffft style spray of noisy air. That'll startle and distract your cat. They learn through conditioning so once they associate your tree with that unpleasant startling sound, they'll stay away.
4. Create an alternative distraction zone
Christmas tree branches and decor hold endless entertainment and exploration opportunities for mischievous cats, especially for indoor ones. Creating a dedicated cat distraction zone elsewhere may help keep their mitts off your tree, and it’s something pet pro Josh Wiesenfeld does in his own home during holidays.
He says, ‘To provide an alternative, I create a holiday play zone for my cats with festive, cat-friendly toys-think Christmas-themed toys stuffed with catnip or a scratching post decorated with safe, non-toxic ornaments. Giving them an outlet satisfies their holiday curiosity and keeps them from fixating on the actual tree.’
Most cats love cat nip, a member of the mint family, so adding a cat nip toy, available on Amazon, to your festive distraction area will help tempt your felines there.
Brett Bennett, Director of Operations, PURCOR Pest Solutions adds, ‘My recommendation for keeping cats out of your trees is to make sure they have another climbing opportunity close by, but not close enough to easily transfer from climbing structure to tree. Many cats end up in trees just because they're natural climbers who like to be up high. So, providing them a more appropriate climbing opportunity nearby will allow them a good vantage to check out the tree without being inside it.’
Cat towers like this are usually over $100 so this is a bargain worth snapping up. Save it for when you put your christmas tree up. Whenever your cats try to climb your tree, remove them from it and put them on this instead. Persistence will pay off.
5. Train them out of it
I personally have two very climb-happy cats and have trained them both to not only ignore us while we eat and never beg for food, but also stay far away from my Christmas trees. It began when they were kittens and involved persistent effort and diversion behavioral training.
It's one of my main rules for keeping my home clean with cats.
Whenever they went to the tree, I’d call them away for treats with me by shaking a bag of their favorite treats. They quickly associated the sound with food they liked so if I shook the bag, they'd stop whatever they were doing, including climbing my tree.
If they began playing with ornaments or trying to climb my Christmas tree, I lifted them away. I did this without fail every time, making it impossible for them to scale my tree successfully. When I lifted them away, I would place them on the base of their scratching post, and their paws on the scratching part. It means they began to associate that itch to climb with their scratching post.
I also used up their curiosity energy with new trailing toys and interaction and rewarded them with treats a little bit away from the tree.
6. Anchor your tree the ceiling
Instead of relying on your tree stand to keep your decorating offering upright, call in some extra backup.
Josh Wiesenfeld adds, ‘I anchor my Christmas tree firmly to the wall or ceiling with clear fishing line. To cats, the tree is a climbing adventure often, and by ensuring it can't tip over, I avoid both an injury and a mess. That will also help in case one of the cats suddenly decides to leap at it, since it will not shake that much, making them less interested.’
You can purchase fishing line at Amazon.
7. Use a sturdy base to negate wobbly fun
To add further stability, invest in a sturdy base. I have a cast iron one with space for two liters of water that keeps my seven-foot real tree firmly upright with little chance of toppling over, even with a cat in it. It also means I can easily keep my tree hydrated, healthy and stop it dropping lines for as long as possible.
It helps keep my tree alive longer too, so it doesn't start to smell.
Designer Elissa Hall adds, ‘Cats and Christmas trees can be a challenging combination, but there are a few clever strategies that can work effectively without compromising the festive look of your home.
'First and foremost, consider the tree's stability. Using a heavy, stable tree stand can deter cats who might be tempted to climb, as a wobbling tree often invites even more playful mischief.
This will hold water and your tree, up to 8ft in height, with no nonsense. I have one just like this and it is so heavy and robust. I've had it for 12 years and it hasn't changed or aged at all despite five house moves and all sorts of storage conditions.
8. Add double-sided sticky tape on the trunk
Cats hate particular sensations on their paws, and sticky double-sided carpet tape, available at Amazon, is firmly on that list. Add it around the tree trunk to discourage them from climbing.
Dr Mark McCalla is a veterinarian with over 15 years in animal behavior and owner of Alpine Dog. Over the years, he's helped many cat owners keep their curious felines out of Christmas trees.
Dr McCalla says, 'This highly effective strategy is based on what I’ve seen work time and again. Wrapping the tree trunk with double-sided carpet tape has been a game-changer for clients with particularly active cats. Cats dislike the sticky feeling, and clients have shared how it’s kept even the most determined climbers off the tree entirely.'
As an aside, he adds, 'A small strand of bells [available at Amazon] around the base of the tree can work wonders too. I’ve had clients tell me their cats quickly learn to associate the jingling with boundaries, and this gentle reminder has kept many curious cats at bay without startling them.'
Now you know how to keep your cat out of the tree, learn how often to water your Christmas tree and keep it from dropping its pines already.
