Cats and Christmas trees

[AInightingale]

My younger cat, who I've had for 2.5 years, has for the past two Christmases chewed the lights - he's destroyed three sets as well as putting himself at a lot of risk - God knows how he hasn't had a shock. Has anyone got a solution for this apart from not having any lights on the tree at all? Last year I wrapped thick insulating tape all around the cable, but he just climbed into the tree and bit through one of the wires between the lights. Battery operated lights would be safer, but he'd probably still wreck them. Just wondering if anyone had used one of those cat tunnels that you wrap round the tree like a skirt, though I have to wonder at the logic of actually attracting the cat to play around the bottom of the tree

Fibre optic tree?
what about cluster lights?

Cluster lights - yes, they have metal wires don't they - the little bastard angel mightn't be able to get his teeth through them so easily.

I have a really nice tree only about three years old and the thought of having to buy a new (fibre optic) one is annoying!

Our son doesn’t have lights , one of the Siamese loves all types of wires , every cable in the house has cable protector on it . They also only use unbreakable ornaments .

We had a cat who used to jump at the tree like a flying fox from the back of the sofa - but hated the hoover, so every night we put the hoover in front of the tree, she didn't go near it!!

I must say I've never had a cat who chews before, and it is annoying - he's also done a lot of phone cables and headphone wires. Always the little thin wires.

We even have the thin phone chargers covered , they are easier to bite through .

Please be careful if you have lights on your trees. One of my local cat rescues has already posted about a kitten dying after getting caught in the wires. I hear similar stories every year, it's so sad.

I don't know if this is any use but I read recently that cats don't like foil. Someone posted a film where they had put a sheet of foil on the floor and stood the tree on that. The cat would go to the edge of the foil but no further so it couldn't get close enough to the tree to cause mischief

Ooh thanks @5foot5 . I may try that, I will try anything at this point!

The first Christmas with the panthers who were young adults , my DS sent me a photo of the Female in the tree .
It was a pre-lit , no baubles , no extra lights so no extra wires , the lights were on static.

It lasted about 4 days .

Next year - they're older more sensible - Male was in the tree .

So no tree -sigh

Yes, even the prelit trees have wires.

Few sets of Poundland lights will do, battery operated and only about £1 for ten!