Christmas tree that cats won't try to eat or climb.

[PushPurrCatPaws]

oooh! Look at that cat tree/ shelf one!! I love it!

 

[Tobermory]

Mine don’t climb, but they do like to chew the branches. I have a three-pronged approach:

• I use marble-filled trays. They won’t walk on them.
• After I put on the tree skirt, I wrap double-sided sticky tape around the base. Last year, Iris kept trying to get to the center to chew those branches.
• I have a couple of those black spiky rubber door mats that I use as well. They don’t like to walk on them. There are other door mats that might work as well.

Of course, I put all unbreakabke ornaments around the bottom, but I have a couple that they really love that I consider decoys. They can bat and chew and remove those to their hearts’ content. Doesn’t hurt them—the ornaments or the cats—and they serve as a distraction. I just hang them back up again!

 

[Azazel]

Mine don’t climb, but they do like to chew the branches. I have a three-pronged approach:

• I use marble-filled trays. They won’t walk on them.
• After I put on the tree skirt, I wrap double-sided sticky tape around the base. Last year, Iris kept trying to get to the center to chew those branches.
• I have a couple of those black spiky rubber door mats that I use as well. They don’t like to walk on them. There are other door mats that might work as well.

Of course, I put all unbreakabke ornaments around the bottom, but I have a couple that they really love that I consider decoys. They can bat and chew and remove those to their hearts’ content. Doesn’t hurt them—the ornaments or the cats—and they serve as a distraction. I just hang them back up again!

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This is awesome! Haha I love the face in the first photo... just trying to blend in with the stuffies and plan her attack.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

oooh! Look at that cat tree/ shelf one!! I love it!

Me too!!! I'm hot considering building my own as we got all the tools; I just need a good sturdy safe paint and a layout!

 

[basscat]

We put a screw in the wall and wire the tree to it at the top. Ornaments will fall off with a flying 50lb bear hug attack, but, the tree remains standing.

 

[pearl99]

And, @Boris Diamond posted this last year -

View attachment 305248

OMG I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING

 

[pipperoo]

I got this one last year at Ikea. The branches start about 40" off the ground. As you can see in the photo, that still wasn't quite enough of a deterrant, so I ended up putting the base in a large (wide) decorative basket that I filled with gifts. That made it too hard for her to wreak havoc, so she just gave up. Yay! My first tree in five years!!!!

 

[pearl99]

I got this one last year at Ikea. The branches start about 40" off the ground. As you can see in the photo, that still wasn't quite enough of a deterrant, so I ended up putting the base in a large (wide) decorative basket that I filled with gifts. That made it too hard for her to wreak havoc, so she just gave up. Yay! My first tree in five years!!!!

This is good! I could fill a basket with pine cones.

 

[mackiemac]

Hang it this way, your cat can't eat or jump at it, unless he's a real jumper.
View attachment 305104

This! For an extra-special touch, hang it from the ceiling fan and watch the fun begin!

Several years ago, we decided to go with pine garlands instead of the full tree. Our place is pretty small anyway, and a tree just took up so much room. When we got the big cat tree, I realized immediately that there would be a problem! So, I decorated with Mylar crinkle balls and felt stuffed ornaments hung by their fabric loops from the wire branches, rather than using ornament hooks. It worked out great! Instead of using shiny garland, we used long strings of shiny beads, and just loosely draped it in and out of the "boughs". If WHEN a cat managed to snag the beads, it was no big deal to just stick it back up. As our cats got older, we were able to go with more traditional decorations on the boughs, and they didn't bother with it in the least. We now have a 16 week old kitten who will be almost 6 months old come Christmas, and she is going to be all up in there, I just see it! She's already going after the boughs, which we leave up without decoration all year round because our "décor" is an outdoorsy theme. So, it's cat toys and beads again this year!

 

[Azazel]

I got this one last year at Ikea. The branches start about 40" off the ground. As you can see in the photo, that still wasn't quite enough of a deterrant, so I ended up putting the base in a large (wide) decorative basket that I filled with gifts. That made it too hard for her to wreak havoc, so she just gave up. Yay! My first tree in five years!!!!

oooh, I'm going to look into this, thanks!

 

[tabbytom]

This! For an extra-special touch, hang it from the ceiling fan and watch the fun begin!

You'll spend the whole Christmas season cleaning up!

 

[kittenmittens84]

For some reason my cat will go ham on an artificial tree, but when we took a chance on a small-ish (6-7’?) real tree he completely left it alone. He just really loved to sit under it which was fine by me!

Actually we did have a small drinking the tree water problem but tying the skirt tighter around the base fixed that. I think he looks forward to the Christmas tree now, it’s like outside but it’s inside!

 

[Rhall]

Yup I have 3 cats, 2 who've never seen a tree before. One who was constantly in the tree last year. Should be fun!

 

[Azazel]

Just thought I'd give an update on this thread. After receiving lots of great suggestions I ended up getting a medium sized/compact fake tree with a high trunk. The trunk is actually inside of a nice vase which makes it a little less tempting. My cats don't chew on wires so luckily I don't have a problem with that, but they love to chew the branches. Two of my cats started trying to chew the branches right away. I bought some of that Grannick's bitter apple spray and sprayed the bottom branches. It seems to be working. They both tried chewing again and ended up with a look of disgust. One of them hasn't bothered trying again since, another one went for a second try and had the same look of disgust again. Nothing has happened since. I'm hopinig that the spray worked, but, I was reading the ingredients and this thing has rubbing alcohol in it?!??! How can it possibly be safe for animals? I'm not sure if I would use it again.

Tobermory I think I'm going to add the marble trays you suggested next.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Pepper and Harley must have been weird cats because neither one of them paid attention to the Christmas tree when I put it up. Of course the new bunch are feral so don't know if and when the time comes what they would do.

 

[CatLover49]

Pepper and Harley must have been weird cats because neither one of them paid attention to the Christmas tree when I put it up. Of course the new bunch are feral so don't know if and when the time comes what they would do.

My boy messes with mine every yr...So I may just do some decorations inside n outside...And thats it...Not SURE YET about the tree...

 

[Tobermory]

I think I'm going to add the marble trays you suggested next.

It’s worth a try. I discovered that if the marbles aren’t packed in fairly tightly, Iris will find a way to get her feet in between them and make it to the tree trunk. Calicos. I wonder if Feliway spray would work.

 

[tuffsmom]

Tuff was a stray 4 month old when he came to us. I have always said he was sent by God. The proof is that we have had a full size artificial tree all 4 Christmases Tuff has been with us and he just looks at it and passes right on by. I think God told him there were some things he best not fool with or he might find himself out on the street again! Ha! Wouldn't give him up for the world!

 

[GaryT]

I found the perfect tree for Theodore. Not sure what he makes of it....I tried to put him next to it for a picture and he freaked out!

 

[Kittymatsu]

May I suggest an artificial small tree like a fake birch tree? It would make the decorations higher and the way the branches are would prevent cats to jump in it. It's not as impressive looking as a regular Christmas tree but it keeps the spirit and you can still used the same decorations in them. And if you like it, you can just remove the decorations and keep it out all read round without seeming out of season!
Here is a picture of what I mean:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Vk0ONvEvL._SY450_.jpg

I wish you the best of luck with your kitty dilemma!