How to Protect Your Christmas Tree From Your Cats

Christmas is a truly wonderful time, you can crack open a bottle of wine, light up the fire, turn on your Christmas lights and stick on a movie in your PJs. Then you hear a terrifying crash, followed by a yowl from the other room…

You guessed it; your cat has clambered halfway up your tree, and it's pulled the whole thing over in what feels like slow motion. There are Christmas tree lights and baubles everywhere, and your cat has sheepishly slunk away into a corner with something in its mouth.

To help you avoid this disaster-movie-like scene, we've put together this guide so you can leave the festive action up to John McClane.

Here, we explore 10 ways to cat-proof your Christmas tree, tips on protecting your cat from your tree, and the reasons it may be best to get an artificial tree instead of a real one if you live with feline friends.

How to cat-proof your Christmas tree: 10 tips

Hold that bauble! Don't immediately put the decorations on your tree

Decorating your tree is an exciting time. For many, in fact, it's one of the highlights of the holiday season. So, we're sorry to suggest that you exercise a little restraint when it comes to decorating.

If you set up your tree a little while before you add the decorations, it gives your cat a chance to get used to it. Your feline friend may even be a bit bored of the tree by the time you start loading it with fun hanging objects.

Put your decorations up high

When you do decorate your tree, we suggest putting anything particularly enticing high up and out of reach. Also, consider keeping baubles and any precious ornaments towards the centre of the tree rather than hanging off the ends of lower branches. This will make them less enticing to your cat.

Hang ornaments securely

The decorations you add to your tree need to be properly secured. If they're unlikely to fall off, then your cat may lose interest. Securing your decorations also means your cat can't run off with them and try to eat or hide them.

Give your tree a strong base

Stability is key to a cat-proof Christmas tree. Whether you have a real or an artificial tree, adding weight to the base and making sure it's stable can prevent it from falling over if a cat leaps into it.

If your cat's particularly mischievous, you could consider fixing your tree to a wall part way up.

Tree skirts are your best friend

Not only does a Christmas tree skirt make the bottom of your tree look super smart, but it also keeps your cat away from the lower branches of the tree.

Placing a wooden Christmas tree skirt around the base of your tree creates a distance between your cat and any decorations and lights on lower branches. Doing this prevents cats from knocking baubles off or chewing LED lights and cables.

Deter, deter, deter!

Cats can be incredibly picky. There are a few things you can add to your tree to keep them away. While these aren't a guarantee, deterrents like citrus, pine cones and foil can keep them away.

Cats dislike the scent of citrus fruits like orange peels, lemons and limes, which is why using dried fruits as ornaments or citrus spray on your tree can deter them. You could even spray apple cider vinegar on the tree to keep your cats away.

Another thing you could do is lay pine cones around the base or wrap the trunk/Christmas tree stand in aluminium foil to prevent your cats from trying to climb or claw it.

Isolate your tree! Keep it away from any potential launching zones

Cats often love nothing more than jumping off a sofa or sideboard into the branches of a Christmas tree. Placing your tree in a corner, away from launching points, reduces the chance of your cats performing kamikaze missions and your tree ending up on its side.

Alternatively, you can work to minimise the potential launch zone by opting for a smaller target. With a small Christmas tree or a half Christmas tree, there’s simply less tree for your furry friend to aim for!

Be extra careful with your Christmas tree lights

You want to make sure there's nothing to chew or for a cat to get caught on and pull the whole tree down, so keep your lights and any cables out of harm's way.

Place your lights towards the centre of your Christmas tree, and make sure you unplug them when there is no one to keep an eye on it. We also recommend you avoid real candles. They're a fire risk at the best of times, but with a cat, you're looking at even more of a problem.

If you're thinking of investing in a new tree for this year but aren't sure how to cat-proof your lights, take a look at our range of pre-lit Christmas trees. With no exposed wires, your tree can dazzle friends and family and avoid shocking the cat.

Keep presents away from the tree

You may have treated your favourite feline with a whole stack of Christmas gifts, but we'd recommend keeping them away from your tree.

Many cat-friendly gifts include catnip or other enticing smells, and a curious kitty would have a field day destroying all the gifts or clambering over the tree to get to them.

Your cat may show an interest in more than just their gifts. It could also be others' presents, especially if there are loose corners of wrapping paper or stockings to tug at.

It's best to keep gifts hidden until the big day to avoid ruined surprises or nasty accidents.

Consider buying an artificial tree

Now, this is less about cat-proofing and more about damage limitation. We all know that a real tree drops pine needles everywhere, so if your cat is constantly playing around with the branches, it's going to get messy.

If you opt for an artificial Christmas tree, you can buy something smaller but just as dazzling. This can reduce the risk of damage if your tree does fall over, and there'll be much less cleaning up to do without all of those needs everywhere.

Our full collection of artificial trees includes everything from mini and small artificial trees to 3ft artificial Christmas trees and huge 8-foot artificial Christmas trees.

How to protect your cat from your Christmas tree

(Yes, it works the other way around too.)

It's not just your tree you need to be concerned about. Christmas trees can be a real danger to your cat, from toxic branches to bacteria in your tree water or broken ornaments. Here are a few things cat owners just like you can do to keep your cat safe this Christmas:

Switch to an artificial tree: Pine needles and branches can be toxic to cats if they try to chew on them, but you won't have this problem with artificial trees.
Opt for a small or slim tree: you don't want a giant 10-foot pine tree falling on your cat! Small and slim Christmas trees are a great alternative as they are lighter and take up less space. Half Christmas trees are another option as they stick out less and will be less enticing.
Buy a solid tree stand: the more solid the base, the less likely the tree is to fall over.
Avoid tinsel and lametta: Sure, they look wonderful and festive, but they'll be very tempting to your cat, and eating them could cause serious harm.
Clean up any broken ornaments: if something delicate falls off your tree, it could smash or break. Watch out for broken glass or sharp bits of plastic or metal.

Why it's better to have an artificial Christmas tree instead of a real one if you have cats

Cats will likely be curious about both artificial and real Christmas trees. There's no escaping that fact. However, artificial trees could be a better investment if you have a feline friend for these reasons:

No scent: Unlike artificial trees, real trees produce a natural scent that may be attractive to cats, making them more likely to investigate or climb the tree.
No pine needles: A real Christmas tree will have and shed sharp pine needles that can be dangerous if swallowed.
Less toxic: Many real Christmas trees produce oils that can be toxic to cats. These can cause nausea, vomiting, skin irritation, or other serious illnesses in your cat. If you think your cat's ingested some of these tree oils, you should contact a vet immediately.
No soil or water needed: Real trees require watering, which can be tempting for your cat to drink. This water can contain bacteria, fertilisers or other chemicals that can be harmful to cats. Likewise, if you have a potted tree, cats may be tempted to use the soil as a litter box, which is another thing you won't have to worry about if you have an artificial tree.

Grab an artificial Christmas tree and cat-proof your Christmas

With plenty of tips to keep your tree and cat safe from each other this year, we hope you enjoy a magical festive period.

Remember, keeping your tree safe doesn't have to be difficult. Many cats simply ignore Christmas trees, but if you're not too sure, one of the best things you can do is grab an artificial Christmas tree or a fibre optic Christmas tree.

At Christmas Tree World, we stock artificial trees in all shapes, sizes, colours and styles. You can choose from realistic Christmas trees, snowy Christmas trees for a wintery twist or a mini Christmas tree to deter your cat from pulling your decorations down.