Tie the tree to a hook in the ceiling (or a vent, or a curtain rod). Keep the tree, spray the cats with water when you happen to catch them.

The cats are very familiar with the spray bottle, but I'm not planning on missing any sleep to catch them at it.

Can you restrict the cats' access when you're not able to supervise? We live in an older house with doors that close off most rooms, so we're able to do that. I would never trust the boys alone with the tree.

That's why I said "when you happen to catch them." lol

Maybe you can try an upside down tree and hang it from the ceiling?

tear drop tree

After getting the kittens last year, i didn't even try to put the tree up. Instead I dragged out my little fiber optic tabletop tree. Pretty little thing and I don't really miss having a big tree.

I would need much taller ceilings than I have for a teardrop tree. My babies can jump high! :)

That would be such a shame to take the tree down on Friday. I hope you find another solution.

Years back I had a cat who I couldn't keep out of the tree. You'd walk in the room and suddenly see these eyes staring out at you from inside the tree... quite disconcerting! She also proceeded to chew through the wires of the pre-lit tree. I found out it's extremely hard to unwrap a tree that was pre-lit.

Now the cat we have doesn't seem to care about the tree. Instead I deal with our Golden Retriever's tail whacking away at all the lower ornaments.

This morning brought the total ornaments removed to 14. Twelve globe ornaments and two snowmen. One was decapitated.

I am so sorry that I had to laugh.

I found a solution that works wonderfully for us. DH thinks it's a little gross, but I don't even notice it and the cat avoids the tree completely. All I do is take 2 or 3 small plastic containers, put a small rag washcloth in each and soak the rag with apple cider vinegar. These containers are distributed under the tree and the cat (who will not stay away from the tree otherwise) will avoid it completely. Once the rags dry, they still work- no need to re-wet. DH complains that it smells a little funny sometimes (esp if the vinegar is still wet or you are lying next to the tree), but I haven't noticed it otherwise, especially once dry.

I hope you find a solution, having a tree is so special.

Quasifish, I'm going to give the vinegar a try. Thanks.

Good luck, Donna.

Yes there are solutions including give the kitties their own budget tree to play with and put vinegar or what not on the family tree.

Crossing my fingers that the ACV works as well for you as it has for us the past 8 years. The first year we had this cat, DD was only 3, so we felt we needed to find a way to have a tree. I tried so many things that year but the ACV was like magic to keep him away. Last year right before we took the tree down I figured the ACV probably wasn't doing much at that point, so took them out from under the tree. Darn cat was climbing the tree within 10 minutes! Hoping for good results for you!