Many cats seem to have a love-hate relationship with Christmas trees and holiday decorations. Many of them are incredibly curious about these interior design changes.
But some kitties might be a tad too… errr… enthusiastic in their quests to figure out what exactly they’re looking at. Broken baubles, frayed lights, torn tinsel, and even collapsed Xmas trees are sights that some pet owners have woken up to.
As reported by ‘Inverse,’ there are scientific reasons why cats enjoy Christmas trees so much. Cat researcher Mikel Delgado, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, had this to say: “First of all, you brought something new and fragrant into their territory. When cats are in familiar territory, they often want to investigate anything new! The tree has outdoor smells and bark to scratch, so there is plenty to investigate.”
“Those ornaments you hang on the tree turn it into a giant cat toy. Lots of fun things to bat around,” Delgado explained to ‘Inverse.’
What’s more, Christmas trees are essentially massive perches, just waiting to be climbed. “Many [cats] will climb trees because they love to climb, and especially if they don’t have a cat condo, or cat shelves, it may be the tallest vantage point they can get in your house.”
However, Delgado warned pet owners that they have to make sure that their decorations are safe for their pets. For one, they should secure their Xmas tree to the wall. On top of that, they should place the holiday ornaments higher up on the tree, so they are out of reach.
After all, nobody wants an emergency during the holidays.
“Be aware of dangers like glass breakables, cords that cats could get tangled in, and anything small they might ingest,” Delgado said.
“Finally, tinsel is a no-no as many cats like to chew it (it’s very grass-like) and it can cause some dangerous intestinal tangles. Cat-proof accordingly!”
Meanwhile, ‘Soft Paws’ warns that holiday trees can pose “significant dangers” to your cat.
For example, they might get hurt if they break any ornaments, chew tree needles, or fall down after climbing the tree.
Another danger is that they might chew on light strings or electrical wires or drink water from the base of the tree.
And shiny tinsel can be a choking hazard.
According to ‘Soft Paws,’ pet owners can do the following things to keep their beloved cats safe during the holidays:
- Don’t keep Xmas presents under the tree, as they might be tempting
- Avoid using tinsel to decorate your tree
- Consider spraying the tree needles with a bitter spray to prevent your cat from chewing them
- If your cat is about to climb the tree or mess with it, you might shake a can of coins or make another loud noise to deter it
Other potential deterrants, as per ‘Soft Paws,’ include wrapping the base of the Christmas tree in tinfoil, spraying the tree with citrus-scented sprays, or putting orange or lemon peels at the base.
Furthermore, make sure that your cat doesn’t have any ‘launch pads’ nearby from which they can jump onto the tree. Try to keep the area around the tree free of furniture and the like.