Today we have a special guest post about a topic of importance in many cat households right now: Christmas tree safety! Read on for Christmas tree safety tips for everything from the tree to glass ornaments to lighting.
Cats are curious critters, and climbers, and scratchers, and chewers…. It can seem like Christmas trees are just asking to be destroyed – ornaments batted around, cords tangled and chewed, and the star on top conquered by a kitty climbing the evergreen Everest in the living room.
While holiday hijinks can be the stuff of stories in later years, no pet parent wants their celebrations to turn dire if a pet gets hurt.
The key to having a cat-safe Christmas tree is to know your cat and plan accordingly.
Christmas decoration safety for cats
If your cat is wholly unimpressed by your holiday decorations, and pretty much everything else, you’re in luck. You’ll be able to plan your tree however you’d like; just remember these for-every-cat tips:
Avoid tinsel, even if your cat has never chased a string in their life. Tinsel can get wound around their digestive tract and cause serious, life-threatening damage.
If you have a real tree sitting in water, cover the water with a tree skirt. Bacteria can grow in those bowls, plus if you’re using additives to keep your tree looking perky, these can be toxic to pets. Related post: What if my cat drinks Christmas tree water?!
If you’re using glass ornaments, tie them to the tree multiple times. A hook and a ribbon for each, to keep them from falling to the floor where even the most uninterested cat might wander by.
Keep cords neat, with no enticing tangles. Use electrical tape and cord connectors to cover and tame your cords. Unplug the tree when you’re not around.
CatTipper Recommendation
I just wanted to interrupt this guest post to let you know what we do here in our three-cat home (including one cat who will chew off all fake needles on the tree until she vomits and one cat who is pretty sure the ornaments are cat toys.)
We finally purchased a tree that has no needles–only lights encased in tubing. (It’s built for outdoor use so it’s very sturdy.) Our cats don’t chew on electrical cords and pretty much everything else is encased in the tubing. We get to enjoy the lights–and we no longer have to worry!
Cats who like to sniff Christmas decorations
If your cat likes to have a good sniff of anything new in the house, you’ll want to take a few extra precautions:
Try keeping your cat at a safe distance with repellent sprays, or citronella or Vicks sprayed on pinecones or disposable decorations.
Sweep those needles! If you have a live tree that’s shedding needles, clean those up promptly. Or go the easy route with an artificial tree.
Christmas decorations for acrobatic cats
If your cat is all over everything, they’ll likely think this tree has been erected just for their pleasure. Take the following steps in addition to the ones above:
Secure the tree to the ceiling, or else make sure the base is very sturdy. You don’t want the whole thing to come down if kitty jumps on it.
No dangerous decorations – that means nothing glass or breakable, and nothing edible like candy or cookies. Opt for wood, felt, and paper.
If you’re really concerned, put your tree in a room that has its own door, and close it safely away when you’re not around to supervise.
Which type of cat are you decorating for this year?
Kat Sherbo is an editor and blogger at PetCareRx and The Wet Nose Press. She’s a Colorado native eager for a big enough NYC apartment so she can get a dog, or a cat, or both, and has picked out names for these as-yet unadopted pets: Burrito and Puzzles.
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