South Dakota: Here Are a Few Tips to Cat-Proof Your Christmas Tree

'Tis the season when Christmas trees are going up in homes all over the Sioux Empire.

While a Christmas tree is generally seen as a thing of beauty to most humans, it's a royal temptation to the feline population.

Cat owners know all too well that kitties are curious investigators. Hence the saying, curiosity killed the cat.

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It seems like every time something new pops up in your home, they want to get into its Kool-Aid as they say.

If you're struggling to keep the family cat out of your Christmas tree this holiday season here are a few tips from the folks at PETA that will hopefully cat-proof your tree this Christmas season.

First, consider buying a fake tree. Yeah, I know, they just aren't the same, you lose the pine smell and the natural beauty of having a real tree. But, there are some advantages to having an artificial Christmas tree. One, there are no pine needles to clean up. And as you know, pine needles can be extremely dangerous to cats if ingested in large quantities. And we all know cats love to chew foreign objects.

You might consider going for a smaller-sized tree. This could be a real plus for cat owners who have a kitty that is fond of making the proverbial sneak attack on your Christmas tree. Should the tree fall over, a smaller tree is far less likely to hurt your feline friend. It's also important to make sure your tree has a solid base, should or more like when your cat decides to jump on and take a climb.

PETA also recommends you hold off on decorating the tree once you bring it home. Give your cat a chance to get bored with it, before you load it up with a bunch of beautiful, tempting-looking ornaments.

If you do decide to go the route of the real tree, make sure to cover the water bowl with the tree skirt, and place your Christmas presents on the tree skirt so that kitty isn't tempted to take a drink.

Try and set up your Christmas tree far away from other pieces of furniture in the house. It will help cut down on the launching pad factor and hopefully reduce the temptation to pounce on the tree.

Cats do not like foil and citrus scents. So PETA suggests that you wrap your tree in foil and place a few lemon or orange peels around the base. That typically will act as a good deterrent.

When it comes to decorating the tree, be careful where you choose to place your lights. PETA highly recommends you place them towards the middle of the tree. Again, helping to cut down on the temptation factor. The last thing you want is for your cat to chew on the wireless and possibly get burned or worse yet, electrocuted. Remember as Cousin Eddie from the movie Christmas Vacation said, "If that cat had nine lives, she just spent them all."

Finally, consider tying your Christmas tree ornaments to the tree. That way your cat can't run off with them, and possibly run the risk of being injured by the little metal hooks used to hang ornaments to the tree.

The gang at PETA has a bunch of other Cat-Proofing Christmas tree tips that you can read about here.

Hopefully, these suggestions help to keep your cat off the colorful, bright, and sparkly new toy that now occupies your living room.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Source: PETA