Expert: Dear Tabbi - 12/4/2008

Question
My 6 month old kitten will not leave my Christmas tree alone, spraying her with water is not helping.  She thinks its a game.  She tries to see how fast she can take all the balls off the tree before she gets completely soaked.  I have tried sprays and tin foil.  Any suggestions?

Answer
Kim,

Welcome to the world of Christmas with cats! Your problem with your kitten comes with the season and is basically universal!

It is similar to bringing inside a swing set and telling your toddler that it is off limits and he can't play on it....that it's not a toy. To kittens, anything new and different brought into their territory has the possibility of being a toy!

Here are some suggestions to keep them away from the tree that other people have used:

* From Petsmart:"Boundary" Indoor/outdoor cat repellant by Lambert Kay--it works wonders!

* Some household cleaners have a high concentration of citrus (orange, lemon, etc.). Cats hate the smell of citrus. Soak some absorbent objects (eg a small, egg sized piece of wood) in the cleaner overnight and hang these from the lower branches. Repeat if they start to lose their smell.

* Citrus scented body spray. Spray the base of the tree and the bottom branches thoroughly.

* Take a few paper envelopes. Fill with Cayenne or crushed
peppers. Seal the envelopes & poke holes in it with a pin.
Hooking the envelopes to the bottom of the tree. Cats hate  the smell of pepper!

* Take a bottle & fill it with any kind of alcohol (rubbing alcohol, Vodka,etc.), add crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper. Leave this to sit for 2 days then strain and put in a marked spray bottle. Spray the bottom branches of your tree.

* Spray around tree with any perfume. Repeat because it wears off.

* Use citrus peels (orange or lemon) to sprinkle around the tree. To make the peels go further, grind them in a blender to release the citrus oils and mix with water. Put in a spray bottle and spray around the tree and branches.

Moth Balls: another scent deterrent, but please, place them inside a covered container with a few holes poked in it (they can be toxic if ingested). Put in strategic areas around the tree.

Also you can use a rolled up newspaper and swat the kitten when it gets around the tree while saying loudly and firmly "NO TREE!". The newspaper won't hurt her but will scare her. Make sure you pet her in a little while so she will not be scared of you, but of going near the tree. Cats go by association so keep doing it until she associates the tree with the newspaper. Unfortunately it won't help much if you aren't at home.

Your kitten should have a kitty friend to play with to help keep her amused and out of trouble.

Here is also a good article to read about cats and Christmas:
(copy and paste, or type the whole link into your address bar)

http://www.absolutelycats.com/22Christmas.html

Remember: DO NOT use tinsel on your tree. It can be fatal to cats because it gets wrapped around their intestines.

Hope your Christmas is purrrfect!

Tabbi