It’s time to deck the halls with cat-friendly holiday home! Nothing marks the holiday season like decorating your home with shiny tinsel, sparkly ornaments and, of course, a Christmas tree.

But when you live with cats, these festive frills can pose serious hazards, so it’s smart to keep your furry family members in mind when considering your holiday decorations.

You aren’t alone if you want to be stylish and have chic holiday decor, but worry about your cat’s safety. At least 71 percent of pet parents get special gifts or treats for their cats during the holiday season.

If you love going all-out with holiday decor, don’t despair; you can still have a beautifully decorated home that’s also relatively cat-proof. You just need a little creativity and imagination and cat safety in mind. Here’s some inspiration, tips, and cat-friendly holiday ideas to get you started. 

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cat tree

Do’s and Dont’s of A Cat-Friendly Holiday Home

Creating a cat-safe home for the holidays need not be a laborious task. Here are some of our favorite do’s and don’ts to ensure the holidays are memorable and don’t include any emergency veterinary visits.

Do:

  • Consider hanging strings of lights vertically on your wall in the shape of a tree
  • Create a fabric or felt tree as a standalone decoration
  • Decorate with wreaths on doors that are made of artificial greenery
  • Use window decor such as festive decals, clings, or window stickers
  • Decorate your home with cat-safe holiday plants like cat grass
  • If you have a spare room to decorate, consider this and keep the door shut

Don’t

  • Avoid tinsel and garland which cats love
  • Use non-toxic decorations
  • Hide electrical cords as cats may chew on them
  • Provide your cat with a cozy safe retreat in the home
  • Supervise the use of candles and consider flameless LED candles instead
  • Put treats or chocolates out where curious cats may indulge
cat friendly holiday home

Rethink the Christmas Tree

Of course, the most enticing holiday decoration for some cats is the Christmas tree. How can you expect kitty not to be intrigued?

You just presented her with the very best possible cat tree she could ask for! You could try securing the tree to the wall, removing all the tempting decorations, and doing everything you can think of to cat-proof the tree, but you may still spend your whole holiday season worrying about it. Avoid that nightmare altogether with a creative substitute for the traditional Christmas tree.

Here are a few of our favorite holiday alternatives to a Christmas tree:

Wall-Mounted Christmas Tree

From Jobar’s IdeaWorks, this wall-mounted Christmas tree stands three feet tall and comes with 50 white pre-hung lights. It is a space saver and can’t be knocked out of a base like a typical tree. It is easy to use and hang and requires three AAA batteries to light it up. Add your decorations, block the area off from the kitty, and you have a viable alternative.

Decorative Wall Decals

Consider a decorative wall decal that’s easy to install and remove once the holidays are over. Bonus: No pine needles to vacuum. There are many gorgeous vinyl wall decals to choose from, including the Build-A-Christmas Tree Wall Decor, which measures 24″ x 21″ and is made in the United States.

Take it up a notch with the Funnlot 57 Piece Peppermint Floor Decals. Each decal adheres to clean and smooth surfaces like hallways, plastic products, glass walls, windows, and more.

Skip the tree idea and opt for quotable Christmas designs. The Outus Christmas Decal Stickers are affordably priced and contains two styles of Christmas decals. Tear off the protective film from the back and stick it on when using. Simply remove with no residue left behind.

Tabletop Christmas Tree

Another idea is to replace your traditional full-size Christmas tree with a stylish tabletop tree. These minimal, modern designs are less likely to be disturbed by a cat than a Frasier fir, and they look festive to boot.

The San Francisco Music Box Company offers a lighted musical tree that plays eight holiday songs. Measuring 9.5 inches high, it is adorned with happy festive cats ready for Santa Paws.

Consider a pre-lit Christmas tree if traditional artificial pine is more your feline style. From the folks at National Tree Company comes a 2-foot tall majestic fir ready to go. Each branch looks realistic and lush. Bonus for the lights that stay lit if one bulb burns out.

cat ornament

Consider Cat Friendly Ornaments

When we think of holiday ornaments, we usually picture delicate glass balls, shiny tinsel, garland, strings of twinkling lights and other items that dangle and sparkle.

Is it any wonder cats are intrigued by these decorations and want to play with them? Happily, there are plenty of festive holiday decorations that won’t smash or fall victim to curious paws.

Valery Madelyn offers a set of 100 shatterproof Christmas ornaments in reds, greens, and whites. Each ball is pre-tied with a cap and string after being blow molded and hand painted.

Say no to glass ornaments and yes to this wool-felt Christmas cat treasure. It is eco-friendly, handmade with felt, and made by Global Crafts, a member of the Fair Trade Federation.

Fill a plastic bowl with this six-piece catnip-filled holiday toy set. Each chew cat toy is made of tear-resistant plush and contains organically grown catnip inside.

Eliminate Toxic Plants and Flowers

Several popular holiday plants and flowers are toxic to cats, causing symptoms that range from mild stomach and mouth irritation to possible death.

These include holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, and even pine needles. If you have any of these in your home, make certain they are out of reach of your cat. And, remember, since cats are excellent climbers, even if you think a high shelf is off-limits, your kitty may find a way to get there.

Instead, substitute silk or plastic flowers and greens for fresh and try to avoid using any other decorations in your arrangements that could be a choking hazard, like small sticks, beads or thin ribbons.

cat toys

Provide Toy Alternatives to Treats

Let’s not forget, the holidays are a time for indulging our taste buds with all kinds of tasty treats, but many of these foods are unhealthy or even toxic to cats.

So while you’re baking cookies, consider distracting your cat with a few fun, holiday treat-themed, nonedible toys.

Huxley and Kent’s 2-pack of Hanukkah cat toys will have your guests smiling. Each plush toy is filled with catnip and a bonus crinkle to keep kitty interested.

Keep your cat active with this holiday interactive 3-pack teaser toy from Pawskido. Each set includes three plush toys, two jingle bells to add sound, and a flexible 25-inch rod for special holiday fun.

You may want to hide some of those cat toys in a cat tree, much to the delight of your kitties in your cat-friendly holiday home.

By taking a few precautions, your holidays can be merry and bright and an utter delight. Here’s to a season of love, warmth, memories, and purrs of contentment.