It’s a fact, cats love Christmas trees!

Your cat may just enjoy curling up on the Christmas tree blanket with the presents. But many cats can’t resist the urge to play with ornaments or climb up into the branches.

How can you make sure that your Christmas tree is safe for your cat? We’ve gathered a few of the best tips from the experts.

• Place your tree in a corner so it doesn’t have far to fall if your cat jumps into it. Some cat owners will anchor their trees to the wall for added stability.

• Keep fragile ornaments away from the lower branches and your cat’s paws. You can hang unbreakable wood or felt ornaments lower on the tree.
• For your cat’s health and safety, avoid artificial trees with flocking (fake snow) as well as tinsel decorations, as eating these things can be dangerous for your cat.
• An artificial tree with no flocking can be safer than a real tree because you can avoid the problem of cats (and dogs) drinking tree water or getting sap on their fur.

• Keep your tree away from pieces of furniture in case your cat is tempted to jump from a chair or table into the tree.
• You can consider non-traditional Christmas trees if your cat is a little too mischievous. There are flat ones you can hang on the wall or solid ceramic tabletop trees.
• Place a scratching post or kitty condo in the same room with the tree and lure your cat to that with toys and catnip.
• Most cats don’t like the smell of citrus so you can spritz a citrus-scented room spray near the tree.

Here are a few more tips from PETA with some cute pictures and videos.

We hope you and your feline friend have a happy and safe holiday season!