My cat and Christmas?

Question

My cat is chewing on christmas light and climbing in the trees. He almost broke an ornament, and almost killed himself by chewing on pluged in strans of lights.What should I do?

Answer 1

Get plastic ornaments and keep light strings off the bottom. My cats have played in the tree for years and haven't gotten hurt (thank God). Just kitty proof your tree (hang ormaments with yarn instead of wire hangers, and remove tinsel and icicles, tie the tree to ceiling so it doesn't tip over). This is how my kitty looked one morning after a romp with the tree. I just couldn't be mad at him! Good luck! http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2449809560098625606IvWmad

Answer 2

Many of the answers you have gotten offer good advice. The only thing I can add is to avoid tinsel of any kind on your tree. I had a cat once who would eat the shiny strands of tinsel, resulting in problems. Another friend paid over $400 to the vet before her cat finally coughed up a tinsel ball....so I'd be cautious about that.

I've owned cats for years, and have recently acquired two new youngsters. I'm not home during the day, so last Christmas I had to come up with a workable solution. To avoid problems and make Christmas merry and bright for myself, I purchased a small table tree. It has fiber optic lights, and the ornaments are "attached," including little pine cones, sprigs of holly and berries, and clumps of mistletoe. It cost about $15 at Walgreen's. I compensated for the small tree by adding lots of accessories up high and out of kitty's reach - big red bows attached to the sconces, a little Christmas village on top of the entertainment center, lots of candles, arrangments of silk poinsettias, etc. My place looked festive and Christmas-y without the traditonal tree and all its trimmings.

Owning a pet is often like similar to having a baby around - you have to make some changes and yes, sacrifices. It's all for the safety and well-being of your little furry babies, and for your own sanity and peace of mind. To me, the changes and concessions I made were worth it, and saved me a lot of worry and trouble.

Merry Christmas, and enjoy the holidays ahead!

Answer 3

My cats tipped the tree over by climbing it one year... Cats and Christmas trees often don't mix.

Either block the cat out of the room, or you could try getting a squirt bottle full of water and giving him a little squirt whenever he goes near the tree. Make sure he has plenty of other toys to keep him occupied, too.

Sorry to say - some cats are fine with Christmas trees, but others are just too playful to be around them. Good luck, and Merry Christmas!

**Hey - "I cuddle kitties" (first answerer) - I LOVE that pic you posted. Too cute!!! Thanks for sharing! ;-)

Answer 4

I've never put up a Christmas tree just because i figured the cat or cats would do something like this. Christmas is too much trouble. And the cat is too valuable.

Answer 5

Turn off the tree and spray concertrated citrus on it and let dry. You find this at auto parts shops. Cats hate the taste and smell.

Answer 6

Can you block off the room to the cat, maybe a gate at the entrance of the room. and make sure there is someone there when she is in the room. Merry Chritmas

Answer 7

Get the Christmas tree a Guard dog ....that should keep the cat away!

Answer 8

I agree with loopylucia, My cats don't like the smell of orange peel.

Answer 9

I say just get a spray bottle and fill it with water and anytime you see the cat doing it spray it.

Answer 10

put something that they hate the smell of, such as Vicks around the tree. It repells them sometimes.