2025 Sep-Dec, Animals, Cats, Creature Thoughts, Latest Issue

Yes, You Can Combine Christmas Trees and Cats (Creature Thoughts Nov/Dec ’25)

Posted by Gayle Nastasi on

Subtitle: Or Maybe I’ve Just Been Lucky

Apologies for the AI image. Every one of my pictures of Magic with last year’s tree came out blurry.

In the USA, Thanksgiving is nearly here. Once that holiday is past (and, in some households, even before), people start thinking about Christmas decorations. (Or, at least, those do who celebrate that holiday.) 

In homes occupied by pets, that indulgence may require added precautions.

I’ve had quite a few people over the years tell me, “Oh, we can’t put up a Christmas tree. We have cats.”

Honestly, the statement, while I understand the worries, and respect the choice, rather baffles me.

I can’t imagine a Christmas without a tree … or my home without at least one cat. (At one point, I had eleven. But we won’t go there.)

Our home has always had a Christmas tree, and has always had cats. Never once have we had a problem.

Yes. I just knocked wood so hard my knuckles are bruised.

Wait, I must back up. We did have one pet-related tree disaster. It was many years ago, and the culprit was not a cat, but Saluki Jai. He wanted to get to the window behind the tree because something interesting was happening outside. I don’t remember what that interesting thing was, but I do remember the horror of watching the tree start to fall. It had been tied to the curtain holders, so didn’t come down all the way, but it still made a mess that required reassembling.

Never a cat problem, though. There’s never been a broken ornament. It’s not that no ornament has ever been swiped off the tree. Only safe unbreakables go on the lower branches. We’ve never had a cat try to climb branches, or eat tinsel, or chew wires.

We don’t use “icicle” type tinsel. There’s a spray-bottle of “Bitter Apple” right next to the tree. The exposed cords are wrapped in cord protectors. The current cat (ahem, that means you, Magic) won’t be allowed unsupervised access.

We may trust our cats for the most part, but we’re not naive. ::smile:: As they say at Hogwarts: “Mischief Managed.”

Our stunning black kitty, Magic? He was our 2023 Christmas present from Missie, who had crossed into spirit that November. He wasn’t trapped and brought inside, then a seven-month old kitten, till the day after Christmas (“Boxing Day” had a special meaning for him). He was then confined to a section of the house till after the tree came down. By the ’24 holidays, however, he was out and about. We did tuck him in at night, or if no one was home, but as long as I was here, he had full access to the house, the tree, the presents, the decorations. Sure, he checked out the ornaments, even tentatively batted at a couple of lower ones. I had to correct him if he was too curious about the wires (which, if I recall, only happened once or twice; Bitter Apple tastes nasty). Most of the time, if he interacted with the tree at all, it was just to lie handsomely in front of it, looking like a Halloween decoration that got its holidays mixed up.

I do understand why people would choose not to have a tree, to avoid anything that might remotely go wrong. It’s true that the horror stories are numerous. However, it’s my experience that, with some training, special precautions, and adjustments to routine, there’s no reason to deprive the family of the brightest spot of the holidays because the family happens to include a feline or two.

Or eleven.

I get a great laugh out of some of the clever ways people post on social media to protect the tree from their cats: trees hanging from ceilings, enclosed in cages, and more.

There are, of course, also many legitimately helpful suggestions online. A brief search on YouTube for “keep Christmas tree safe from cats” will bring up a whole slew of hacks, tips, tricks, and advice. (I may even try a few of them myself this year.)

Of course, with anything cat, we have to ask: “WWJD?” “What Would Jackson Do?”  Some of Jackson Galaxy’s precautions might seem a little excessive (no presents under the tree till Christmas morning?), but they will at least give worried cat-parents hope for a feline-friendly Christmas. Prevent Holiday CATastrophes: Save Your Cat with my Christmas Hacks

Direct link to above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw-N6HTxSTc

If you choose not to have a tree because you have a cat, that’s perfectly okay. I respect that precaution, and wish you Happy Holidays. However, this time of year, my heart reverts to ten years old, and I couldn’t imagine Christmas without a tree. Heck, it took my hubby over 30 years to convince me to try a fake one (but I’m used to it now).

If you do want to combine cats with Christmas trees, though, there is hope. It may take some extra caution, diligence, and training, but isn’t your inner child worth it?

Some Helpful Stuff

(These are associate links.)