A beautifully decorated Christmas tree is one of the biggest delights of the holiday season. To your cat, however, the tree is a tempting playground filled with opportunities to climb, pounce, swat and hide. Though you cannot entirely eliminate the risk of Fluffy climbing the tree or swatting ornaments off the branches, you can discourage her with scents disliked by most felines. Citrus and strong herbal scents, including eucalyptus and peppermint, are unpleasant to the typical cat. Spray your Christmas tree with homemade cat repellent to send Fluffy scurrying.
Step 1
Fill a 1-quart spray bottle with water.
Step 2
Add a teaspoon of eucalyptus or peppermint oil to the water.
Step 3
Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon or orange oil into the bottle.
Step 4
Cap the bottle and shake the mixture thoroughly.
Step 5
Spray the repellent onto the entire Christmas tree. Add extra spray to the lower branches and the trunk of the tree.
Step 6
Respray the tree several times each week.