A decorated, bright and beautiful Christmas tree is an integral symbol of the New Year holiday.
However, cats look at these decorations in their own way. Let's figure out how to minimize destruction.
New Year trees are very attractive to cats - this thing looks like both a scratching post and a play set. Shiny toys only provoke the furry pranksters, and they happily attack the unfortunate tree.
The collapse of the Christmas tree is dangerous for the animal - glass and plastic toys break and cut the cat's paws, the garland can break if it falls. In addition, the green beauty is scary in itself: the cat can overeat needles, get tangled in the branches and get lost in time when playing in her arms.
We have prepared 10 tips to help make the New Year fun and safe for all family members.
Make the Christmas tree unattractive to your cat
Your pet will definitely not want to relive a negative experience. If your cat likes to chew on spruce branches, try spraying them with a bitter spray. Give preference to an artificial tree - its needles do not fall off and it does not smell.
Many cats don't like the smell of citrus fruits, so try spreading tangerine or lemon peels and rubbing the sour juice on the twigs.
Another way to keep your pet away from the Christmas tree is to stick foil or double-sided tape on the “skirt” of the New Year’s decoration. Cats don't like things sticking to their paws.
How to stop a cat from spoiling the Christmas tree and tinsel. A simple life hack for a blogger using a tree to “attack”
The girl amazed many TikTok users with her New Year's life hack - she showed how to wean a cat from ruining the holiday tree and decorations. The pet's owner recommended scaring the animal with a tree that had not yet been installed, and it seems that the method worked for many viewers.
Blogger Rebecca Richards on her TikTok account @becs.richards told how to stop a cat from dropping a Christmas tree on the floor and ruining decorations. The video quickly went viral - at the time of writing, the video had been viewed more than 32 million times. In the comments to the posts, the girl complained about her pet’s attention to the holiday decor and tried a life hack on her - she scared the animal with a Christmas tree.
If you terrify your cat with a tree before you put it up, she will leave the tree alone. To avoid injuring the tree, injure the cat,” Rebecca jokingly captioned her TikTok.
In the published footage, the blogger “attacks” the animal with spruce branches, forcing the pet to leave the battlefield and hide on the stairs. In the next video, Rebecca showed the result of a life hack: in the video, a cat carefully creeps up to a decorated tree, but does not dare to attack.
She checks the tree, but overall the tree is safe! — the girl boasted.
In discussions under the video, many viewers called the method controversial and expressed concern about the moral health of the animal. But there were also those pet owners who took the risk of using Rebecca’s experience and were delighted to discover that the life hack works.
Works! This is an unconditional victory!
It works!
And for some viewers, the “battle” of their cats with the Christmas trees ended in tears: the pets returned a few days later for revenge and demonstrated a vindictive character.
I did this with my cat, but two weeks later he came back for a second round. And this time he won. And now he attacks her at least once a week - he shows who is boss.
Several TikTok users complained that the scare trick didn't work for their pets.
I used a life hack on a cat today, and five minutes later she was already at the top of the tree, before I even had time to hang up the decorations. I don't recommend it.
And another tiktoker showed viewers another New Year’s life hack with decor - how to creatively decorate a Christmas tree using tinsel. In the Medialeaks material you can read what is needed to make fluffy “stars” for branches.
Previously, Medialeaks told how confessions through the “Anonymous Valentine” telegram bot became a pre-New Year trend. Internet users brag to each other about the number of “anonymous messages” they received from admirers.
Protect your cat from the Christmas tree pot
Some furbabies love to drink water intended for the Christmas tree. The cats think that this is a new pond especially for them. Such water often contains additives and fertilizers that are toxic to animals and is therefore not suitable for drinking.
Here foil will come to the owner’s aid again - wrap a sheet of foil around the edges of the pot. Remember that even water without fertilizers contains bacteria that are harmful to the stomach.
Decorating the Christmas tree
Do not hang balloons or other attractive toys at a height that your cat can easily reach. Be careful with electrical garlands: wires and sockets should not lie on the ground. Buy an extension cord to carry the wires to the top.
A good tip: hang a bell at the bottom of the spruce tree. When the cat touches the tree, you will immediately hear and be able to react in time.
It is advisable not to use artificial snow to decorate the Christmas tree, as it is quite toxic. You can only sprinkle the top, because the cat definitely won’t get to it.
Pay attention to the wood material
By choosing an artificial Christmas tree, you prevent several possible problems at once. The cat will not be able to drink water from the Christmas tree pot and will overeat fallen needles, which are dangerous for digestion.
However, some artificial trees are also unsafe: do not buy one made from cheap PVC, as this material can be toxic to people and animals.
We prefer artificial wood
The bad news for cat owners is that natural spruce and pine are dangerous and poisonous to cats. It's all about the resin contained in coniferous trees. This substance is toxic to cats and can cause serious poisoning if the pet chews on branches or decides to “feast” on needles. Therefore, the safest option is artificial spruce or pine.
But if you still prefer natural wood, then try to raise it higher above the ground so that the cat cannot drink water from the container in which the tree is installed. Remove the needles in a timely manner so that the cat does not have time to eat them. It would be correct to isolate the tree from the pet in a separate room and allow the cat into the room only in your presence.
Check out the Christmas tree decorations
Fragile or souvenir jewelry should be kept out of the cat's reach. Hang them on the top branches of the Christmas tree so that the cat cannot reach them with her paw and break them.
If you have not secured the tree in a secure position, it is better not to use glass toys at all. Choose balls made from a more durable material.
Fixing the spruce
The tree must stand securely, stable, and be firmly fixed so that the animal cannot easily knock it over by pulling the garland. A good option is a metal tripod. This design is stable. If you are installing the tree in a bucket, then choose a larger container. Do not forget to cover the bucket with a “skirt” on top so that the cat cannot drink the water.
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To ensure that the tree is always in an upright position, you can take a strong metal rod and install it parallel to the trunk, between the branches. You can also tie individual branches to pipes using ropes or cords if the tree is against a wall.
Make the tree inaccessible to the cat
You may find yourself building a veritable barricade around the tree. This can really help in such a fight. You know your cat better than anyone else - build at least a tall fence around the green beauty if this seems like the best solution.
If the cat is determined to climb onto the shiny Christmas tree, bypassing all the sheets of foil and obstacles, place the tree in a room inaccessible to the animal.
As a last resort, you should completely abandon this New Year's decoration: the safety of your pet is more important than tradition! Did you like the article? Share with your friends!
Scaring away the cat
Cats really don't like the scent of citrus fruits. This can be used to prevent the spruce from appearing attractive to your pet. Place orange peels around the tree - and then the cat will not come close to the New Year's attribute. The unpleasant smell will scare her away. There are special aromatic “repellents” that are sold in pet stores and are used for the same purposes.
You can also use another option to let your pet know that the tree should not be touched. When the cat shows interest in the tree, spray it with plain water from a spray bottle. Do this every time your pet “encroaches” on the spruce.
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How to protect a Christmas tree from a cat?
All cats are different, some are indifferent to New Year trees, garlands, balls and decorations, while others, on the contrary, are attracted to the festive sparkle like a magnet. If your mustachioed pet falls into the latter category and, like you, is happy about the arrival of the New Year, then the following measures need to be taken:
- When decorating the tree, place the animal in another room. Christmas balls, tinsel and garlands are play items for your pet. If you shake beautiful balls in front of a cat’s nose, he will certainly begin to try to catch up with them and get them. In addition, it is better to avoid shiny jewelry altogether to avoid teasing your furry friend.
- Knowing your pet's preferences, try to choose toys that will least attract his attention. For example, items made from felt and paper will not generate as much interest as glitter balls. Matt decorations firmly attached to branches are also less interesting to a mustachioed household member.
- If your pet still shows great interest in the innovation in the house, trying to jump on a tree, then you can abandon the decorations altogether. Four-legged friends love to try everything, and tinsel, fake snow and edible sweet decorations can be dangerous. Instead, you can hang a garland on the tree; it will create a festive mood and will not attract the animal’s increased interest. To prevent your four-legged friend from being harmed by electric current, be careful and protect the wires with special covers. And if there are kittens in the house, then it is best to place a protective screen at the base of the spruce tree, covering all electrical communications. Then you will be sure that curious fluffies will not spoil the festive mood.
- If you still decide to decorate the New Year’s beauty with toys, then you should take care of reliable fastenings and give preference to plastic decorations. And hang especially fragile glass balls as high as possible.
- There are cases when the smell of spruce attracts a pet. Then you can use apple cider vinegar and citrus spray to repel the cat. You can hang orange slices on the spruce; their smell will reduce your pet’s interest in the New Year’s tree.
- Distract your four-legged friend's attention. Place a scratching post and favorite toys in the room with the Christmas tree - the cat will be busy and will not pay close attention to the New Year's decorations.
- When installing, secure the tree carefully. As a deterrent maneuver, you can place a vacuum cleaner, brushes or other objects nearby that your four-legged friend is afraid of.
Most importantly, do not leave your pet in a room with a tree overnight - you will sleep much more peacefully, knowing that your pet will not drop the green tree, eat the decorations or get hurt.
