My cat won't leave the Christmas tree alone. Is it safe? What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend not allowing the cats to drink from the tree stand; if the tree was sprayed or treated with anything while at the tree farm, it could leak into the water that they are drinking. I would gate off the tree, or cover the top of the stand with aluminum foil. Good luck!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Luna. I love Christmas time so much, but cats can be such a pain in the butt about trees and climbing them. I don't know if this is an option for you, but I moved our tree into a room where the door is kept shut all the time, and the cats cannot get in it. That prevents them from having any access at all to the tree. Gates won't work with cats, they climb over them. A bitter apple spray may work to repel the cats, and you can get that at a pet store. Cats hate the smell of citrus, but the problem with things like citrus essential oils is that they are toxic to cats, so you want to avoid that. Try the bitter apple spray, do not allow them around the tree alone, and if you can, move it to a room that you can shut the door so they have no access. I hope this helps!

Cats and holiday decorations don’t always mix well. As curious animals, cats tend to explore any new additions to their environment and see many of these shiny, new objects as fun toys. Tinsel is the ultimate shiny object for a cat to play with, which often ends with subsequent ingestion. If ingested, tinsel poses a serious risk of causing an intestinal blockage, also known as a linear foreign body obstruction. This life-threatening surgical emergency can easily be avoided by keeping tinsel out of homes with cats. Other holiday decorations can pose problems to particularly curious cats, such as strings of lights that some cats may try to chew, decorative ornaments or snow globes that look like toys to bat around, or poisonous plants, such as mistletoe or poinsettias. When decorating for the holidays, try to look at your house from your cat’s point of view and keep decorations that look like enticing toys packed away.

There are various sprays available at the pet store. Bitter apple is safe and usually effective. Other products may be necessary if this doesn't work and are generally safe if labeled for use as a pet deterrent. Avoid using any essential oils or other products that are not labeled for this use. I hope that helps and this stops Luna from chewing on things she shouldn't.

Since he is uncomfortable and unwilling to eat, I think it would be a good idea to get him seen as soon as possible. Oils from fir trees can irritate the inside of their mouths, causing drooling and vomiting and ingested pine needles can collect together creating an intestinal obstruction or potentially puncture the intestine, leading to a painful condition called peritonitis. I feel it would be best to get him seen in case he gets worse or perhaps ate something else you weren't aware of. As you probably know, cats cannot go for long without eating before developing hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease. Your vet will do an exam, possibly x-rays and labwork, and based on these results, will be better able to tell you what is wrong and how best to treat it.

Christmas tree flocking is made out of plastic and is not much of a concern once it's dry, unless your cat ingested a large amount that could cause an intestinal obstruction. If a large volume was eaten or if it was wet when it was ingested you should contact your veterinarian. Otherwise I think it's okay to monitor for any vomiting or decrease in appetite.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think that is a good idea! Just make sure he has a litter box, water and kitten food. The fish likely won't make him sick but if you are seeing problems with it, maybe confining him in your room when your Auntie is home will solve the problem! I wish you all the best!