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You may be eager to get your home ready for the holiday season, but are your plans cat-friendly? The sights, scents and sounds of the holiday season can be tempting to our curious felines. Cats love to explore novel objects in the environment, especially those that are shiny or stringy. 

Imagine your cat’s excitement when he or she sees a huge tree covered in what looks like cat toys. Unfortunately, Christmas trees can be dangerous to cats. This goes especially for the young kittens out there.

1. Make sure that the tree has a solid base. Cats love jumping on trees, so be sure to set the tree up so that it won’t easily topple over. Securing it to a wall with some wire near the top can help keep it upright.

2. If you do opt for a real tree, cover the water bowl with a tree skirt and place presents on top of the skirt so that your kitty isn’t tempted to drink the water, which could sicken your pal.

3. Keep the tree away from launching zones (e.g., furniture) that your cat uses, in order to reduce the temptation to pounce on your tree.

4. Place more of your ornaments where it’s harder for your kitty to reach them—at the top and toward the center of the tree (instead of on the ends of the branches).

5. Place lights toward the center of the tree so that your cat is less tempted to chew on the wires, and cover the end of the wire that plugs into the wall with a cord protector.

Finally, if you decide to have guests over this year, make sure to look after your cat in case they get scared of strangers. Consider keeping them in a room where they won’t be bothered, or help calm them with a little CBD oil. And be sure to keep foods and plants that could be poisonous out of kitty’s reach—or better yet, out of your house. These include chocolate, mistletoe, lilies, cyclamen, poinsettias, and amaryllises.

*PETA

*The Spruce Pets