A.W. asks from Saint Charles, IL on December 04, 2007
Cats off the Christmas Tree
I have four cats and a fake Christmas tree. Every year the darn cats use the tree as their personal jungle gym. They climb it, they sleep in it, they knock it over (I have lost soo many ornaments that way) and generally just destroy anything on the tree. Last year I finally just took everything off the tree and we put the presents under a bare tree. Anyone have any idea how to keep the cats away from the tree? I tried spraying them with water and vinegar last year but I can't watch them 24/7 and all that did was get presents wet and smelling like vinegar. I would really like to have a nice tree this year.
So What Happened?™
We got some citrus spray and I put orange peels in the tree and that seemed to work pretty well.
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B.A. answers from Chicago on December 05, 2007
My kitties did that when they were young. The first year, I had only one kitty, about 6 months old at the time. I'd come in after work to find her lying across the branches deep inside the tree. Year #2, I had the second kitty, and she was about 9 months old at the time. They would both take running leaps from the couch into the tree. I picked it up off the floor many times that year. For the next few years all they did was occasionally slap at an ornament.
Fast forward to this year - Smokey is 14 years old now. And guess what she's trying to do again - she's been attempting (and probably successfully while I'm not home) to lie in the branches. I've caught her a few times over the past couple days.
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M.V. answers from Chicago on December 05, 2007
Try putting a motion sensor Xmas decoration near the tree. Something that is loud or moves! This will not only scare off the cats it will also give you a heads up that they are in there!
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L.F. answers from Chicago on December 08, 2007
Did you try shatter proof decorations. I took lots of pictures of my brat in the tree. I scrap booked them and call her naughty kitty.
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M.N. answers from Indianapolis on December 05, 2007
I've used orange oil and water in a spray bottle to keep cats off of things. I've used orange peels to keep them from digging in my plants outside.
You can get real orange oil at many stores but make sure to be careful when you use it. It will take the finish (including paint) off of anything!
M
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T.B. answers from Chicago on December 05, 2007
We do not have any cats, but I do know from past experience that the aluminum foil really does work! They don't like to step on it. My sister used to put it in the baby's crib (when the baby wasn't in it!) to keep her cats out of it. And my mom used to use it at her house too.
T.
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S.P. answers from Indianapolis on December 05, 2007
A., we always had a cat and never had a problem with our trees each year.
However you have 4 cats so I must say that I do not see any solution to your problem because one or another of the cats is going to initiate contact with the tree and influence the others to join in.
Our cat liked to sleep under the tree and occasionally he would bat at an ornament or two and I'm sure I had to correct him a time or two, but that was the extent of it.
So good luck with that. Sorry I can't help you. I don't now if the animal repellent they sell to spray on furniture would help....
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K.M. answers from Lafayette on December 05, 2007
We have a cat that chews thought the lights so we have a tree without lights. We also have to keep all electric cords hidden or wraped or she will chew them. We have a baby fence around our tree and she just jumps in. Good luck
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B.A. answers from Chicago on December 05, 2007
My kitties did that when they were young. The first year, I had only one kitty, about 6 months old at the time. I'd come in after work to find her lying across the branches deep inside the tree. Year #2, I had the second kitty, and she was about 9 months old at the time. They would both take running leaps from the couch into the tree. I picked it up off the floor many times that year. For the next few years all they did was occasionally slap at an ornament.
Fast forward to this year - Smokey is 14 years old now. And guess what she's trying to do again - she's been attempting (and probably successfully while I'm not home) to lie in the branches. I've caught her a few times over the past couple days.
1 mom found this helpful
A.H. answers from Chicago on December 05, 2007
We had the same problem...year after year and our cats actually broke the branches on our trees. This is the first year that we have not needed to buy a new tree!!! We bought a tree that has small branches...it's tall, but the branches are not long at all. Our cats can't get in the tree! They haven't even tried.
In our old trees, they would sleep in them, climb them, attack them...etc.. They haven't done any of this in two years. Now, the only problem we have with them is chewing on the bottom branches and I'll take that over the other! We tried spraying stuff on the tree to make it smell weird, didn't work. We tried spraying the cats with water every time they got in the tree...didn't work. We tried loud noises, didn't work. The new tree worked for us!
Good Luck!
A.
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A.S. answers from Chicago on December 04, 2007
LOL, have fun with that! I have 2 cats, at one point I had 3 and I have ALWAYS had this problem. What I have done is used this spray product called Cataway or Bitter orange. It does keep them away from it for an hour or two, but once the scent starts to wear away, they are right back there. Since I am at work all day I am sure they are in it during the day when we are gone. I don't really have any suggestions other than to commiserate with you, and I will be watching this thread for any other suggestions.
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