how do i keep my kittens out of the christmas tree?

ok. this is my first christmas with kitties. Any suggestions on how I get the cats to stay out of the christmas tree? I bought another ssscat, and figured I would position this in the branches. To play it safe, I bought a bunch of unbreakable ornaments, unfortunately, some have pheasant feathers uggghhhhh ( I didn't think too logically)

Thanks.

I gave up on trees about 10 years ago. When I had them, I had nothing but unbreakable ornaments and if you do nothing else, do NOT use tinsel on the tree. It's a cat magnet. And be oh so careful with lights - if you hang them, don't have them dangling near the bottom. My friend actually ties a rope at the top that is anchored into the ceiling to prevent it from toppling.

Sorry - you have kittens and they will simply climb the tree. The only way to stop it is to lock them away from the room with the tree. Hopefully others will have ideas.

Two words....You Don't!!!!

Have fun!

We had out tree in the cat free dining room last year, this year we're going to be brave and try it in the living room. I'll be very surprised if it lasts a weekend

Accept the cats as part of the decoration for as long as the tree is up. I was shocked my first Christmas with a cat also. It is the joy of the holiday for my girls (and now our new little boy), to get to climb and lounge around in their tree.
It has probably been 20 years +- since I have used bows on gifts. Clementine who has been RB over 10 years now, broke me from bows. She would not bother gifts unless I used bows and then she took bows, wrapping and all.
Personally, we enjoy watching our cats enjoy the holiday season too.

My family is lucky, our cat has never tried to climb or knock over the tree. All he has ever done is sleep under it. Although he has knocked over the train we put around it. He makes sure that it off the rails at all times.

What I do is I have and artificial tree. I set it up for about a week without decorations. Them I put up the decorations. Absolutely no tinsel! Very bad them if its injested. Last year I also put up some air fresherner trees on the tree to try to deter them away with smell. They played with a few ornaments, but never knocked it down or anything. I got Zakk right after Christmas when he was six months- as I recall we took the tree down pretty quickly after that b/c he attempted to scale it. Last year we didn't have major problems at all w/ a 9 month old cat and a 18 month old. This year we have a new kitten- hopefully the three of them will stay out of trouble!

Josie has never been a tree climber. She'll lay under it and bat at the ornaments on the lower 1/3 of the tree. I always tell her no, but it doesn't seem to matter. I just make sure I put safe ornaments on the lower branches.

I always put the breakable ornaments closer to the top..because at least then they are harder to get too

Last year I tried this stuff the vet sugggested. I think it was called "shoo away" and it kind of smelled like apples. It kept my cat away from the tree but I had to spray it once a week.

You can put all non-breakable ornaments on it for starts. Or you can ban the cat from the room. I know of people who had their trees in a "porch" with french doors - the cats were never allowed in the room.

You can use a squirt gun on the cat every time he/she goes near it. Our 14 yr old knows not to bother the tree. But we now have a 5 month old kitten who is always getting into things - it will be a challage to keep her away from the tree!

This may be helpful!

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69730

After reading all the replies I have realized that Christmas tree and cats do not mix. I LOVE the holiday season and all that comes with it. I simply cannot survive without a tree. I think what I'll do is put a tree without any ornaments up. Just sprinkle of fake snow and voila a natural xmas tree.