Cats, Christmas trees, and candles – a recipe for disaster.

Cats, Christmas trees, and candles—there's a lot to think about. The shiny, dangling ornaments on the tree, the new vertical space option, and the rough texture of the trunk all serve as invitations to the cats in your home: 

Come on up, explore me, scratch me, and play with the shiny, moving objects. Candles attract cats; the flickering flames and shifting shadows make them irresistible to cats and kittens.

Christmas Trees naturally attract cats

Cats naturally tend to check out a Christmas tree set up in your home, and you shouldn’t blame them for it. When I first had my dog Toby and my two cats, Lilly and Eva, I was brave enough to set up a tree. 

Well, Toby the stray dog, along with Lilly and Eva, two 10-month-old kittens, taught me a lesson I will never forget. Toby peed on the tree several times, and Lilly and Eva climbed it and knocked it over twice. Although it all sounds funny, it wasn’t. I was extremely stressed and tired of cleaning up the mess. Eventually, I bought some outdoor lights and placed the tree outside on the balcony. Not my first choice, but better for my sanity.  

Over the years, I have considered various options and ideas for those of you who still want a traditional Christmas tree or candles in the home. 

Practical Tips to Secure your Christmas Tree:

1.     Secure the tree to the wall. A corner location is preferable over placing it in the middle of a room. You can find green rope or floral wire at a craft or home improvement store. 

2.     Use a sturdy base! By sturdy, I mean either a heavy metal stand or a plastic stand that can be filled with water. 

3.     Cover the bottom of the stand with a tunnel or donut bed.

4.     Only use ornaments made of plastic. Don’t use glass or anything that can break easily.

5.     While spruce and fir are generally considered safer than pine, no needle tree is entirely safe for cats. Consider purchasing an artificial tree.

6.     Needles from natural trees can pose a choking hazard, and the tree oils can cause skin irritations and gastrointestinal issues when ingested.

7.     If you choose a real tree, keep it well watered so it doesn’t drop its needles.

8.     Changing the water isn’t really an option once the tree is fully decorated. So cover the stand and make sure cats can’t drink the water.

9.     Avoid using tinsel for decorations, as it can be a choking hazard for your cats. 

10.  Offer cat-friendly climbing structures nearby to redirect your cat.

11.  Don’t leave the cats unsupervised with the Christmas Tree initially. Cats are curious animals, but eventually, the novelty may wear off, and they might ignore the tree. 

12.  Take a deep breath and get ready to redirect your cat.

13.  With two adult cats and a surge of foster kittens, I chose a wall-hanging tree made from branches! 

14.  Open-flame candles should be kept out of reach of cats and kittens. The risks are too great: from burned whiskers to knocked-over candles, open flames should stay away from kids, cats, and kittens. 

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Sandra