# How to protect Christmas tree from dog and cat



## lovemybeast (Nov 23, 2009)

So last year my ever so naughty siamese baby decided to climb up inside the artificial tree. That leads to puppy messing with tree.

So this year they are both just over a year old. We dread the tree. Cat is fat and a big ole brat. Pup wants to sniff, lick, sample the kitty. Yes we are working on No Kitty right now.

So any ideas on protecting tree from doggy other than Leave it from the moment we put it up. We thought of gates but house has plan that does not allow good gating options. I am thinking of non-breakable balls for tree, last year we lost too many and all that glass was scary.

Is our only plan to work on Leave It??? Anyone have any tried and true ideas.


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## jake (Sep 11, 2004)

It is as hard to keep any kitty or some GSD away from a tree as it is to keep a just walking skinperson.SOOO interesting to them just can't be trusted 100%.Please use decorations that are safe.


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## Quirinus (Dec 13, 2008)

For your dog - I put an X-Pen (or two depending on the size) around the tree and also train them to leave the tree alone and never leave them alone with the tree as why ask for problems? I really like using an X-Pen around the tree.

As for keeping the cat off the tree - let me know if you figure that one out!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

every year i can't get over how blessed i am. none of my pets (this includes a cat) ever bother my tree. i get all the curious sniffs and stares when i first bring it in and thats it.

i love love love my cat for being so un-cat-like.

so no, i have nothing to ad to this thread... just looking for an opportunity to brag


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

For my cats and cats I've had in the past, I take a few oranges and slice an 'x' into them and place them around underneath the tree. A lot of cats hate the smell of orange or orange oil and they stay away.

For the dogs, I've never had dogs who wanted to mess with the tree but if I did I would use an X-pen around the tree.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Great photo op, kitty in the Christmas Tree.
My animals don't care about the tree after the first sniff. Karlo will be experiencing his first one, hopefully he won't decide "this is the place to lift my leg!" 
We always cut a fresh tree, so it will be fragrant and more tempting.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

I used to buy clear plastic carpet runners and place them around the tree prickly side up. The beasts do not like the feel of the pricklies on their feet. 

We aslo have real trees and make sure to get one that is very dense, harder for cats to climb. I have never heard of the orang slice idea, one to try if I need to. 

The cats and dogs don't really bother the tree too much. Nacho will every now and then.


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## heather122 (Nov 6, 2009)

I have 3 cats. Oldest (7.5 yrs) has never bothered the tree. Evil Siamese (now 18 months) and little baby kitty (now 14 months) were horrible last year! Siamese peed on presents and tree skirt and chased baby kitty up in the tree. When all the presents were removed, I picked up more ornaments off the floor than the tree. 

I think I'll try the orange idea. Between the 2 cats and now a puppy (10 weeks today) I'm not going to even bother decorating the bottom part of the tree!


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## lovemybeast (Nov 23, 2009)

I have so many pics of my first cat sleeping up in the tree, about three feet up. I also have a pic of my ds when he was about 3yrs with his legs sticking out from under the tree alongside our first buddys legs. It was really cute.

Last year new evil siamese kitty climbed up every chance she got. Then of course the pup would chase her round and round. 

I thought of the fence but he is so huge he would either break it or slide it all around the room. Tree is in corner and is between sofa and a chair. I think I will try the orange and see how kitty reacts. If she is not around he will not bother the tree. Also, I am getting unbreakable orndaments for the lower section. I think I might get some car air fresheners and spritz some orange or citronella on them. Afraid a real orange might attract ants.

Camerafodder..... Brag away, hopefully I can soon join you.

I may also try a can with coins in it so if he does start sniffing the noise will bother him. Since I do not use the can with coins for anything else I am not worried about any issues with training or causing fear in him. For all I care I do want him to fear the tree. Maybe I can freak both him and the cat doing that. Course when we are not home..... she is free to roam. Hmmmm


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

The cats never climb the tree, they just like to lay under it...or hide under it now with Anna. She's learning "no tree" and we use "leave it". The biggest problem is she just seems to think she can go through it, not understanding that it's a solid tree. Goofy dog!


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Camerafodder
> 
> so no, i have nothing to ad to this thread... just looking for an opportunity to brag


I'm sending my beagle -- who won't leave the tree alone -- to Aunt Camerafodder's house, so we can all share the joy.


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## lovemybeast (Nov 23, 2009)

Ok. The fake tree tree with lights went up Sunday. No decorations yet. I got plastic ones for the bottom, large enough that Tank cannot swallow if he manages to get one. I will put up later. So far Tank has not bothered tree. He passed by and I told him to Leave It so he did.

Sealy, the evil Siamese, has sniffed around and under it. I decided that her emotional wellbeing is not as important as it is to keep Tank from messing with the tree. I figured if she stays away, he will stay away. Sooooo, I took a soda can and put pennies in it. I snuck up on her as she got too close and shook the can. Freaked her out. She ran. Did it a few more times. Of course Tank was not near so as to freak him out or have him chase after running kitty. I know she has gone near it when I am not home, Tank is outside and she inside during the day. She likes to open the shutters and squeeze her fat body through so she can lay on the window ledge all day. As long as she isn't sitting up inside the tree I will allow the window ledge. She is a smart one herself, she knows when I see her on the diningroom table getting ready to toss a fake flower from the arrangement down to doggy waiting on the floor to chew it that she had better skiddaddle. 

I am still going to try the orange under the tree. Can't be shaking the can for the next month. But it is funny watching her freak.

PS don't get me wrong, I love my kitty, just not when she is attacking the tree.


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## Daisy1986 (Jul 9, 2008)

Just stopped by because a friend of mine was asking advice on this the other day. 

I told them something similar to the carper runner. Or dbl sided tape. 

The orange smell, hmm interesting. I will tell them that. Their cat jumps from the window, in the tree!









Luckily my animals leave it alone. 

The JRT did not last year. But we have had him a year now, and have worked with him....A.....LOT!!! He is doing great so far this year. We were ready and bought the non breakable ones this year, put them near the bottom. Last year he was munching on the glass ones like apples...


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## heather122 (Nov 6, 2009)

Silly Sadie got tangled in the lights around the bottom of the tree... Freaked her out! She had them looped around the back of her neck! I was in the room and freed her quickly, but it scared her and she has not tried to eat them again... yet!


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

We just don't have a tree.


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## TMarie (Jul 6, 2006)

When my dogs were puppies, I bought one of those 12 inch high white picket garden fences you can get from any garden center, and put that around the tree. It worked, kept the puppies away from the tree, and still looked decorative, and didn't take away from the tree. I even decorated the little fence.

As far as cats go, My cats in the past never messed with the tree, only the bows on the packages, which I didn't mind.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Mine pretty much leave the tree alone (maybe sniff at it), but I also put non-breakable ornaments at the bottom becuase they have brushed up against it or their tails have wacked it before.


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## kshort (Jun 4, 2004)

Amazingly, I have no problem with my four cats. They do like to lay under it - the lights are warm! The dogs don't bother it either. I have candy canes on the tree (real ones) and every once in a while one disappears, but that's okay!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Our plan is to wait until the last minute and hope for the best!







We'll probably put up the tree the weekend before and take it down the weekend following Christmas. Keefer won't be a problem, and as long as we don't have ornaments on the lower branches the kitties won't be either (Emmy does like to chew tape and ribbon though), but Halo will surely be a challenge. Yay.


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Daisy1986 I told them something similar to the carper runner. Or dbl sided tape.


DOUBLE SIDED TAPE?!
















In a house with a GSD...just picture how furry that tape would be in a matter of seconds. LoL

Yuck!

I think the upside down carpet runner is a good idea. One I never thought of. I wonder if it would keep Mandalay off the couch (a habit she has recently picked up). Right now, everynight before I go to bed, I put a doll stroller, a childs rocking chair and an upside down stool on the couch to keep Queen Mandalay off it. She is allowed in my chair and on the ottoman, but noooo she wants to be on the black fabric couch that practically sucks the fur right off of her and grabs on to it tight!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I tried that upside down carpet runner thing with my cats to keep them out of an area when they were going outside the litterbox. They peed on it. 
My brother tried one of those scat mats to keep his Maine **** off his leather sofa at night, and she lay down right on top of it and went to sleep!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Cassidys Mombut Halo will surely be a challenge. Yay.


i just had a vision of halo dragging the tree down the hall, tail wagging and all


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: Camerafodder
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: Cassidys Mombut Halo will surely be a challenge. Yay.
> ...


Oh yeah, that's pretty much what I picture too. We're so doomed!


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## DanL (Jun 30, 2005)

our cat is old so he doesn't try climbing. The only issue we have is with tails wagging and knocking stuff off the tree. With our Dane, whose tail can wag up near the 4' range, we've gone to all plastic/unbreakable stuff on the tree. No more nice glass stuff!


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## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

Bennie and Annie are mostly leaving the tree alone. They would rather play with eachother. Benny occasionally pulls off an ornament and brings it to me. I have safe unbreakable ornaments and a not using any of those little hooks and no tinsel, because I read that it is poisonous.

Our cats are brats. The big one resents the new stray kitten my daughter brought home and has been "spraying" the tree even though he is neutered. The kitten is climbing it and playing with the ornaments and garland! I just fix it every day. 
They usually jump on it from the window and all sorts of ways! It gets to looking so bad after a day with the cats that my son suggested we put a devil instead of an angel on top of the tree! Anyone ever have success teaching "Leave it" to a cat?


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## lovemybuddy (Oct 26, 2009)

So far so good. We put up our tree yesterday. So far, Buddy is only sniffing it. (Although he spotted the convenient "water bowl" right away and started licking his lips, lol) but, so far, a quick "leave it" is all it takes for him. But there will definitely be no strung popcorn on the tree this year!









Does your dog know the leave it command? Just tell him to leave it, and if he doesn't, do a quick spray of water (not on his face) and that should teach him that you mean what you say when you command leave it. (That might work with the kitty, too.) Good luck!!!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I also wanted to add, if you hae a real tree I wouldn't let them drink the water under the tree, especially after it's been sitting for a few weeks. I usually cover it with netting.




> Originally Posted By: Debbieg Anyone ever have success teaching "Leave it" to a cat?


Kinda... It only works for the ones I bottle-raised though. When they are getting into something I make a hissing "tssst!" noise at them, and they stop and *usually* don't do it again. I think it only works because since they were bottlefed they think I'm their mom, so if mom is hissing they better listen!


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## RubySlippers (Apr 19, 2007)

We had a problem with Zora our cat climbing into the tree - low- and eating the pine needles. Then she'd yack them up in special surprise places. It was gross and it can make your pets really sick. So, oddly enough, we had some of that egg crate foam you put on top of your mattress to make it squishy. We placed the tree up against one wall and then when we left the house, or went to bed, we stood the egg crate up on it's side on the floor and bent it in a U shape around the tree. So in order for her to get into the tree she would have to jump over 3 feet straight up and land toward the top an it just wasnt feasible in her head. She could tell it would just not support her. So ya, cumbersome, and wierd, but it worked. And when we were home, we just watched her and shooed her from the tree. 

As far as ornaments, I shun tinsel like the plague! and we don't put breakable glass bulbs at the bottom, only way up at the top. cats and dogs are pretty calm, so there is more of chance of us breaking then them.


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