The jury is still our on who’s harder to keep off of the Christmas tree: a toddler or a pet, especially a cat. The season’s decorations differ from house to house, but the well-loved Christmas tree can be found in windows everywhere. If it is your first holiday season with your furbaby, you may be in for some frustrating days ahead!

Christmas trees, lights, ornaments, and ribbon are all open invitations for animals. They view these items as new toys, which can lead to more than one disaster.

How to Cat-Proof Your Christmas Tree

Attach the Tree to a Wall

Cats are the most frequent reason that Christmas trees fall over. While you may not think it’s festive to have your tree tied to a hook on the wall, you can hide it from behind and save yourself from broken ornaments and giant messes.

Use a Citrus Spray

Orange or lemon sprays can be used on and around the tree to deter cats from jumping or climbing on your tree. You will need to reuse the spray as the scent fades.

Soak or Spray Ribbons in Orange Oil

For the same reason that spraying your tree with citrus scents may repel your cat, soaking bows in orange oil and hanging them on the inside of your tree should help keep your cat away. You can hang them throughout the tree for good measure, but make sure you get a few on the bottom branches.

Use a Scat Mat

Scat Mats can be used on counters, furniture, and floors. They are uncomfortable for animals to walk on and generally deter them from the area. If your cat likes to climb the tree from bottom to top, a scat mat may be all you need to stop the annoying problem.

Tin Foil the Tree Trunk

Cats are known to hate tin foil! You can wrap the base of your tree with it for a simple and inexpensive solution.

Skip the Tinsel

sparkling, dangling tinsel is unavoidable for cats! Stick with solid tree decorations that don’t reflect or shimmer from across the room.

Add a Toddler Gate

You can gate off your tree by using a collapsable toddler gate to surround it. This may not be the most aesthetic approach, but it should do the trick in desperate times.

When all else fails, order a hanging Christmas tree for next year!

Even when your furbaby is a pain in the neck, you know he’s just keeping you on your toes. Through ridiculous tree moments and holiday decoration disasters, you’ll still love him… because you know he’ll always love you.

Just in case you are wondering, most of these tricks will not work with a toddler!