Cats and Christmas trees

[Besom]

Didn't bother with a tree last year as cat was still a kitten. He has settled down a bit now and would like a tree this year. Any tips or advice? My previous cat didn't touch the tree but she was a different character altogether.

Artificial trees are safer than real ones as they're non-toxic whereas you'd need to be certain they won't try to nibble a real one. I think some people tether their trees to the ceiling if their cats are keen climbers but I've never had to do this. They do like hooking the baubles off the lower branches, but it's all part of the fun of Christmas with cats :). Oh and make sure you unplug the fairy lights when you're not around to supervise, just in case they're tempted to try to chew the wire. One of ours was a bit of a terror for that when he was a kitten.

I have had cats all my life, have 5 currently, and we always secure the tree with clear fishing line to the wall so it doesn't get knocked over. One year we neglected to do so right away, and of course, one of them climbed it and over it went.

My 19 year old cat ignores the tree and instead prefers to wake me up at 3 in the morning with shitty paws walking up and down the duvet wanting me to get up and wash the poo off her paws, third night in a row, clean shitty paws and change the duvet cover.
Be grateful your kitty only destroys the tree.

We've got a pair of kittens who are real wrong'uns (never had a problem with other cats) so we're going without a tree this year and have bought a hanging to go in the window. Also bought felt decorations that may get chewed or stolen but at least won't break (I - foolishly - have many glass decorations that I'd normally use).

I sold mine a few years ago as I hate decorating trees and then having to take them all down again. I used cats as an excuse not to put it up.
Before anyone says anything yes I do have a Bah Humbug hat.

I was just coming on to post a thread about this. We've just a adopted a cat who is pretty calm but does like to jump up high... My OH has just suggested sticking a tree in another room of the house and I'm a bit gutted! I love a tree in the living room and we normally get a real one but a quick search online does suggest it might be a terrible idea.

Once my cat hit maturity she lost interest in climbing the tree but one thing she is dreadful for is licking the fake snow.
So I’d get a tree without snow and think about securing it like a PP said

We keep ours in a room that can be closed off from cats. All the decorations are tied on to the tree (though this isn't a guarantee that they'll remain attached!) and we put jingling decorations on the tree too that we jokingly call the "early warning system".

All in all it's good fun even if they are little buggers sometimes! 😂

I’ve got a real tree on order. It’s a non drop pine. I thought these were not toxic?

One of ours has already taken off through the cat flap with a golden bauble which she expertly stalked and killed.

Be afraid, be very afraid.... no tree or decoration is safe (Purplecat 3 is 8 btw, so long past being a kitten)

@MysweetAudrina by the end of December your tree will be naked and there will be a lovely sparkly display outside somewhere

Handsome!

Always had dcats and a real tree. Never been interested!!
Dd has a vacuum near her tree atm. If her dkittens go near the tree she switches it in and they leg it!!
Our dkitten is most def not testing out my dcats aren't interested theory this year.... She is grounded downstairs!! Tree is upstairs!

Cute photo @MysweetAudrina

Maybe I should put my cat in a room no one goes into for the duration of December...

Kidding! (Kind of)

I've had to resort to a tree that is bare (even of branches!) from a good few feet up. It looks ridiculous TBH but my current cats are untrustworthy fuckers.

I always use sand bags on the base of the tree pre kitten but I am now thinking a tether might be needed as well.

Bad choice of word NOT a tether for the kitten.

👍🏻

I like that idea @SoupDragon how much did you chop off? Are we talking a foot or a meter?

Ah just seen a good few feet

Good news- www.amazon.co.uk/Scentsicles-Premier-Pack-Christmas-Tree/dp/B07D6WVV33/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 These "scentsicles" keep the cats away from the tree. We put the tree up in the open plan downstairs and the cats have avoided it even over night.

Bad news- they also smell vile for humans. Like, really, really bad. I've had a banging headache for the last 2 days and it's because the entire house smells like really pungent pine toilet cleaner.

@DidSomebodySaySiamese

Ah just seen a good few feet

My tree is an artificial one so I kept removing the lower branches until they lost interest 😂

Too funny

I always spray tree with pet behaviour spray and they go nowhere near it.