My cat, however, had a different plan. He was excited that Mommy and Daddy put up a giant cat climbing obstacle course in the room. In less than an hour, he had ventured to the highest point of the tree, only to have it tumble down. I found my carefully erected tree on the ground, with ornaments scattered about.
Not knowing what to do, my husband and I decided to move the tree to the guest bedroom. Not an ideal place for opening presents, but at least we would have the tree somewhere in our house. Our kitty was upset that we moved his toy away.
This year, I want to try again. I am determined to have a tree where all my guests can see it. I have been searching high and low for ideas on how to keep my feline out of the branches. Maybe I will have better luck.
One site suggests that I leave orange peels around the base of the Christmas tree. It appears that kitties do not like citrus aromas, so it might just deter them from making it a climbing post. I like to eat oranges, so I am willing to give this a try.
It is also advised to keep all ornaments away from the lower branches of the tree. If your cat sees these toys dangling, he will be more apt to play with them. Instead of using glass ornaments, go with ones that are soft or plastic to keep kitty from being injured if they do fall down.
Flashing lights create more visual interest for cats. Do not use twinkling tree lights. Instead, go with solid lights, and unplug them when you are not around. Cats are known to chew on electric cords, and we do not want anyone to electrocute themselves.
If all else fails, put the tree out of kitty's reach. This may not be your first choice, but a smaller tree on a higher ground will be more likely to stay put all season. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my cat will not climb up the branches this year.