Cat and the Christmas Tree

[slkanger]

We have two cats. The one is almost a year and a half old. We have an artificial tree and she won't leave it alone. She has taken the ornaments that were around the bottom off, the garland, beans, etc. And now last night I caught her in the tree, laying on the lower branches. She has them all bent downward. I get after her when I catch her doing her naughty things and spray her with water. That doesn't even faze her. She like water. She'll run and hid and turn around and come right back and do it again. I'm at my wits end. This morning I bought a mouse trap and sat it and put on the limbs were I caught her laying down. Hoping that if she tries it again, the trap will go off and scare her into not doing it. Is there anything else I can do??? Our other cat goes up and sniffs the tree but she has never done the things Lucky is doing. We've had 4 other cats prior to these two and never had a problem like this. They all just wanted to lay under the tree. HELP!

 

[kerrimah2005]

cat away spray works if you spray some on a tree skirt ...something in it they dont go near the smell reapply evey 3 days or sooo...lol lucky you have ortaments left ..I gave up use plastic ones and EVERY morning i put them all back on ...good luch with treeeeeee

 

[rcd]

One of my cats enjoys climbing in my indoor tree that is in my living room, while the other one enjoys taking apart my Christmas tree. I've tried a lot of things, but they haven't stopped for quite some time now.

 

[sbw999]

I had a similar problem with my Hobbs. A couple of sprays of water solved the problem. Since it didnt with yours, put something with an odor he doesnt like at the base of the tree (citrus smelling things work great!). Pls dont use a mouse trap. A cat will ususally smell something new when he sees it. A mouse trap could seriously injure your cats face, or paw. The last suggestion would be to put a barrier of some sort around the tree. Otherwise youre stuck with having a very big cat toy!..Good luck

 

[touro1979]

A mouse trap

, are you crazy? Not only is that CRUEL

it can also cost you money when the cat steps in it and it breaks a bone. I suggest you try something less dramatic then hurting your animal. If all else fails put the tree in a side room where you can close it off when you are not able to supervise or dare I say, take the tree down. Since I got my cats, I only leave the tree up for a couple of days because they will not leave it alone. Would you employ the same tecnique if your child wouldn't leave something alone, place a trap capable of breaking bones in your childs path? Now I have heard everything.

 

[crittermom]

I found some manderanine orange air freshener and sprayed the bottom set of branches and around the floor by the tree..............so FAR, no kitty in the tree.

I'm hoping Blaze stays out of it.We have "special" ornaments that are placed on the tree EVERY year--one is 32 years old.Just so happens that is the one that Blaze knocked down and it is glass.So, I'm hoping this air freshener keeps working.I'll spray every single day if I have too.

I make sure the girls are NOT in the room when I spray it.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Everyone seems to be having this problem. I too have had many cats who couldn't care less about the tree, untill this year! Please avoid using water to train your cat. It can cause ear infections and things if it gets to her ears. I would deffinatley look into cat away spray. I don't have the option of putting my tree where the cats don't have access, so I have been using a different spray, which is not as effective as others that I've been told about, so I am off to get a new spray this evening. I've heard clicker training is beneficial in training cats so I was thinking of trying that for the tree too. I also have bitter apple spray because mine were chewing on the branches. Good luck!

 

[kittygonewild]

I have to concur with Touro. I can't believe you would even consider a mouse trap as a means of training your cat!

If that thing goes off, it could clamp on her tail, her toes...anything! Absolutely get that thing outta there - immediately! You could cause far more than a scare to your kitty.

Cats aren't fond of citrus scents, try using that to your advantage if you're unable to move the tree to a room that your kitty doesn't have access to. If it's a chemical spray, be sure it won't harm your kitty, as she's liable to get some on her paws and lick it. Perhaps the Feliway spray would help. I strongly urge you to find another method, one that doesn't carry the risk of harming your kitty, to prevent her from getting into the tree. I bet she's the cutest ornament on it though.

 

[pombina]

Im having this nightmare too, we only put the tree up on friday and every 5 minutes one of the terrors is up there. I think its funny when a little head pops out half way up but its making a mess and Im terrified someones going to hurt themselves.
Everyone has mentioned using citrus sprays or smells. Do you think a spray air freshoner would work? or would this harm them? or is there a special citrus spray for cats?
Lauren

 

[slkanger]

Just wanted to let you all know, I just put one mouse trap on the tree limb next to the trunk, on the side of the tree (opposite from where she goes), on Saturday. This afternoon, she started taking the plastic ornaments off the tree and the tree shook a little and it made the mouse trap go off. Boy did that scare her! She ran from that tree! She was not in any harms way. Mouse traps go off so quickly with the least little bit of movement. There was no way she would get caught in it! She'd have to bend the branches down first to even get to where the trap was at. She hasn't been near the tree since then. I was thinking that maybe I'd look to see if I could get one of those air freshners like you get for your car in a citrus scent and hang it on the inside of the tree where it isn't visible. I'm not wild about spraying something on the tree. They might decide to lick the tree limbs next.

 

[crittermom]

I used the spray air freshener and so far, so good.No kitty's in the tree!!! And they haven't licked it off either.
I like the idea of the air freshener for the car thing!!!

I will have to try that if the spray air freshener doesn't keep working

 

[seppolina]

A lady that I work with keeps her kitties away by keeping the Christmas tree in a playpen. It's not stylish, but she swears by it. I personally have forgone a tree for the past 7 years...my kitties are 8

Amanda

 

[crittermom]

I have 4 skin kids, so no tree is not an option.......ages 5,8,12,15