Cat-mas Tree Safety

Santa Paws can get into trouble–so give your cat “legal” opportunities! Image Copr. Karla Spence/Flickr

When we “deck the halls …” our pets think the effort is for their benefit. Cats climb Christmas trees while dogs (ahem) water them—or worse, eat them. The result is a holiday that’s anything but merry.

The attraction is natural. Cats love heights, they enjoy batting objects that move, the twinkling lights draw them to investigate, and cats and dogs (like small children) delight in doing the opposite of what “mom and dad” want. A tree offers a great perching/hiding opportunity, and has all those lovely, sparkly “toys” strung through the branches. Trees end up toppled, presents and decorations damaged, and sometimes pets are hurt.

Dogs and especially puppies are notorious for chewing up and swallowing decorations or even the lights. Cats don’t do it as often, it only takes once. Chewing tree lights, swallowing tinsel, eating tree needles or other holiday décor can kill a pet.

PET TREE SAFETY

First, make sure all breakables or dangerous decorations (string, hooks, garlands, icicles) are not on lower branches, but situated out of pet paw-reach. To keep cats and dogs away from illegal targets, make the area surrounding the tree unattractive. There are several options, and some work for certain pets and not for others. Aluminum foil is a great deterrent for many cats since they dislike walking on that odd-feeling surface. Silver foil also offers a festive holiday look.

Many of the same tips for puppies work to keep cats away from the tree, as well. Refer to these tips–including ways to create a puppy-safe tree.

For cats, you can also use the pet’s sense of smell to keep her away from the tree. Citrus scents are off-putting to some cats so scattering orange or lemon peels (or potpourri) around the base of the tree may help. Vicks Vapo Rub (menthol smell) also works as a good pet repellent. Dip cotton balls in the ointment and stick in the lower branches of your tree. Be aware that some cats actually LIKE the smell/flavor and it’s not good for them to eat it so supervise your cats.

I’m a big fan of baby gates, too. Most cats can hop over, or crawl under/through the barriers so choose one that fits your cat family. You can stack short gates to make it tall enough to thwart nearly all high-flying felines.

CREATING A CAT-MAS TREE

Giving tree-climbing kitties a legal object to scale, such as cat furniture taller than the Christmas tree, often prompts them to leave your tree alone. Cats don’t care if it’s expensive or homemade, either. Take a step ladder, put a cat bed on the paint rack for napping, and tie kitty toys to the ladder steps for an irresistible feline playground.

If you really don’t mind having kittens as tree ornaments, attach guy-wires or twine to protect topple-prone trees from the cat’s airborne assault. Just make sure the ornaments are pet safe, with no swallow-able parts.

You could even offer the pets a small tree of his/her own, decorated with catnip mice and doggy treats, to keep the fur-kids in the family happy. Include empty boxes and lots of wadded up paper for kitten hide and seek fun.

How do you keep your cats from turning the holiday tree into a kitty playground? Do tell! And…have a pet-safe Christmas!

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