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Personal What Can I Do to Keep My Cats Away From the Christmas Tree?

In summary, the conversation is about a person named Carol who is seeking advice on how to stop her cat Lacey from chewing on the Christmas tree. She has tried various methods such as shooting her with water, using a loud whistle, and spraying the tree with a bitter spray. Others in the conversation suggest using a product called Scat Spray, setting up a triangle barrier with two Scat Sprays, and even trying Pet First Aid and CPR. The conversation also includes some humorous stories and pictures of cats in Christmas trees.
cwinter474
cwinter474
Gold Member
1,181
We have two cats that are 4yrs old. One of them, Lacey will not leave the Christmas tree alone. It is a fake tree, she doesn't climb into it, she just constantly chews on it, then she will throw up. First I am tired of cat puke, Second I'm afraid she might bite into the lites and electrocute herself and or start a fire. Here is what we have tried over the years.

1) Shooting her with water gun.
2) Blowing a loud police whistle.
3) Using a dog whistle.
4) Shooting her with a nerf dart gun.
5) Clapping and Yelling.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I know I am leaving myself wide open for Ann and KG, cat lovers that we know they are. But I really hope someone has an idea.

Thanks,

Carol
 
the pet store sells this spray, i forget the name, that tastes terrible (supposedly) and you are to spray items you dont want your animals to chew, and they get one taste and dont... I dont know if it works... I only know that they sell it.
 
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  • #3
We bought something like that a few years ago to help our dog from chewing on his feet. I had forgotten about it. Wonder if I could spray it on the tree? Do you think it would hurt the lights?
 
I would spray the tree, lights off, wait till dry and it should be ok... its just a spray, so its not like the tree would be wet, wet... ya know?
 
I think it may be called Bitter Apple Chew Deterrant
 
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  • #8
Janet, you never cease to amaze me, is there nothing you don't know???

Thanks to you and Laura both.

Carol
 
  • #10
cwinter474 said:
Janet, you never cease to amaze me, is there nothing you don't know???

Thanks to you and Laura both.

Carol
Click to expand...

Um, I sort of work at a pet supply company. ;) ...and have pets...and teach Pet First Aid/CPR...

...jack of many trades, master of none! :rolleyes::D
 
  • #11
janetupnorth said:
Cat Training Aids: Cat House Training to Keep Cats Off Furniture

Cat training aid: SSSCAT Spray at Drs. Foster & Smith (Scat spray)
Click to expand...

Good recommendation!

We have the same problem. Our oldest cat like to sleep in the tree and our youngest cat likes to chew the lights and fake branches.

We use the Scat Spray. It is awesome. We set the tree in the corner. We have 2 Scat's. One on each side making facing each other making a barrier so the cats can't get to the tree. It is almost like the tree is in a triangle (if that makes sense) the 2 walls are two sides of the triangle and the Scat's make the other side.

They are worth the money. We use it on the counters too. Our middle cat steals dish rags so we use this to keep her off the counter. It is funny though when it gets us when we forget it is there and forget to turn it off!
 
  • #12
i wonder if the scat spray works for 6 yos who are into everything you dont want them to get into LOL!
 
  • #13
Kathleen - that is a FUNNY mind picture of you guys getting sprayed!!!! Must suck at 3 a.m.! LOL!
 
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  • #14
janetupnorth said:
Um, I sort of work at a pet supply company. ;) ...and have pets...and teach Pet First Aid/CPR...

...jack of many trades, master of none! :rolleyes::D
Click to expand...

Didn't know that. Pet CPR? wish I had knew how to do that, I might still have my cat Wiggles. I think it is wonderful that you teach First Aid as well. I think I will make some calls and see if I can find anything here in my neck of the woods.
 
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  • #15
Scat Spray is bought. Hopes it arrives soon. I think the triangle is a great idea thats how we set up our tree as well.

Wish us luck.
 
  • #16
janetupnorth said:
Kathleen - that is a FUNNY mind picture of you guys getting sprayed!!!!

Must suck at 3 a.m.! LOL!
Click to expand...

We must jump 3 ft in the air when we do it. We are both saying "I thought YOU turned off the Scat!"
 
  • #17
http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/funny-pictures-christmas-tree-cat.jpg
 
  • #18
I think you got a picture of my cat! That's right where she likes to sit in a tree!
 
  • #19
cwinter474 said:
Didn't know that. Pet CPR? wish I had knew how to do that, I might still have my cat Wiggles. I think it is wonderful that you teach First Aid as well. I think I will make some calls and see if I can find anything here in my neck of the woods.
Click to expand...

Contact your local Red Cross to see if they have the course. If they don't you can still get the books and read them, the new books come with a DVD so it is just like taking the class!

Also, early 2009, I am doing Pet First Aid/CPR demo videos for work that will be on our peteducation website to view along with written instructions. You can teach yourself.
 
  • #20
I am the one that started the thread about my beloved Moose..the Christmas tree terrorist!!

As I fondly look forward to the Christmas season, I readily think of my Mr. Moose and how he will destroy my tree. And how the Christmas village will probably stay in the closet yet another year because I just have always anticipated him being Catzilla walking down Main Street terrorizing the village and there people!!

But alas, he loves Christmas and is so puzzled when I put his big toy tree away every January 1st!!!

KG always comes up with the best cat and Christmas tree pictures!!
 
  • #22
I am so glad I found this thread, b/c I have the same problem.
My two cats are almost 6 yo, and I really thought they'd be over this by now. Last year, I got so mad, I took down my 9-ft tree and moved it in our study, but it was so inconvenient. I am going to try the spray and see how it works. Does anyone know if you can get it at the pet store? Or just online?
One of my cat climbs the tree and could be the picture that KG posted (she is even gray!). The other one messes with the skirt, chews on the branches/lights, then throws up and knocks all the ornaments off and chases them around the house. Seriously, they should be over this by now!!

On a cute note: we used to have this one cat who as soon as the tree skirt came out, there she was, and you'd have to make a spot for her and she would sleep under the tree on the skirt and she'd get really mad if there wasn't a spot for her and would claw the gifts, but left everything alone as long as there was a spot for her!!
 
  • #23
I don't know what local stores carry it since Foster & Smith is our local pet store outside of Walmart and I haven't seen it at Walmart.If anyone needs a coupon code for 12/1-12/31, PM me.
 
  • #24
OMG Lisa - my cat Cirrus does that. Last year I goofed and put the tree up on an end table. You should have seen him! He kept trying to lay down on the skirt and as soon as he was fully comfy and fell asleep, Thunk! He fell off! It was so funny to watch him sit there with these big wide eyes thinking - WHAT HAPPENED? After a couple of days of this, I put the tree back on the floor and he was all fine and dandy with it again. Best part of the whole thing, he litterally kept trying! Why? You would have thought that after falling off the first few times he would stop. Of course, he got better at it and the time in between got further apart. I have to admit though, he scared the daylights out of me at 4 a.m. that last night. When he fell off, he came runny through the bedroom up and over me twice and growled at me. He seemed to know it was my fault! Needless to say, that's when the tree hit the floor! And I could not stop laughing!
 
  • #25
baychef said:
KG always comes up with the best cat and Christmas tree pictures!!
Click to expand...

I dunno - it's usually the same one.
 
  • #26
http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/funny-pictures-cat-likes-drinking-out-of-the-tree-basin.jpg
 
  • #27
http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/funny-pictures-cat-in-tree-tries-to-look-ornamental.jpg
 
  • #28
Uh-oh! I just rescued two kittens and never even thought about the Christmas Tree dilemma.

<sigh> It will be like Christmas with 2 year olds all over again - No ornaments on the bottom half of the tree.

Great pic KG - gave me a good chuckle.
 
  • #29
Bottom half of the tree?Try the entire tree!Last year, I bought a bucket full of unbreakable ornaments at Farm & Barn, and a good thing. Some of them are still turning up, after getting batted out from under whatever hiding place they had been batted into.
 
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http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/funny-pictures-your-cat-is-also-making-a-list.jpg
 
  • #31
http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/funny-pictures-little-kitten-has-christmas-spirit.jpg
 
  • #32
http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/12/funny-pictures-all-cat-wants-for-christmas-is-his-other-fang.jpg
 
  • #33
http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/12/funny-pictures-kittens-will-destroy-your-ornaments.jpg
 
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  • #34
Well,. our tree is coming down today. Tree survived another year.

Wondering how the spray worked for you guys? My girls were smart enough to know that if they went behind it, or above it that it didn't spray them so I had to keep moving the sprayer. But they finally gave up and left it alone.

Carol
 
  • #35
spray did not work so well for me, I didn't get the scat spray. But, I got two different kinds of spray - the bitter one and some other spray to keep cats away from furniture, etc. Didn't stop my girls at all, the only thing it did was change the color of my artificial tree.....grrrr.
 
  • #36
pampcheflisa said:
spray did not work so well for me, I didn't get the scat spray. But, I got two different kinds of spray - the bitter one and some other spray to keep cats away from furniture, etc. Didn't stop my girls at all, the only thing it did was change the color of my artificial tree.....grrrr.
Click to expand...

Those sprays (bitter, etc) NEVER worked for me (or rather, my cats). But the Sccat Spray really DOES work. I know it is pricey, but it is worth every penny!

In fact, it had everyone in the house so conditioned to not cross that "invisible line" that even when I turned them off and started removing the ornaments, I would flinch, expecting the Sccats to go off!!
 
  • #37
http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2009/01/funny-pictures-cat-is-stuck-in-your-christmas-tree.jpg
 
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  • #38
Oh, Kitchen Guy, you do know how to make me laugh! Love the pics!

Thanks,

Carol
 

1) Shooting her with water gun.

This method may work temporarily, but it is not a long-term solution. Cats do not respond well to punishment and may become fearful or aggressive towards you.

2) Blowing a loud police whistle.

Loud noises can be stressful for cats and may cause them to act out even more. This method can also be disruptive to your household and potentially annoy your neighbors.

3) Using a dog whistle.

Cats do not respond to dog whistles as they are designed for the frequency range of a dog's hearing, not a cat's.

4) Shooting her with a nerf dart gun.

This method is not recommended as it can cause harm or injury to your cat. It is also not an effective way to train your cat to stay away from the Christmas tree.

5) Clapping and Yelling.

Similar to loud noises, this method may only stress out your cat and cause them to act out even more. It is not a productive way to train your cat to stay away from the Christmas tree.

Instead of using punishment or loud noises, here are a few suggestions to help keep your cats away from the Christmas tree:

  • Try using a deterrent spray specifically designed for cats. These sprays have a scent that cats find unpleasant and can discourage them from going near the tree.
  • Provide your cats with an alternative distraction, such as a scratching post or toys, to redirect their attention away from the tree.
  • Consider using a motion-activated deterrent device that emits a noise or spray when your cat gets too close to the tree.
  • Place double-sided tape or aluminum foil around the base of the tree. Cats do not like the feeling or sound of these materials and may avoid the area.
  • Make sure your cats have plenty of mental and physical stimulation throughout the day, as boredom can often lead to destructive behavior.

It may also be helpful to consult with a veterinarian or animal behaviorist for additional tips and advice on how to train your cats to stay away from the Christmas tree.

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