Are you decorating for the holidays and your cat family thinks the Christmas tree and other decorations are designed for their entertainment?
In this article, we'll show you various cat-friendly options for the holidays, including:
Christmas tree ideas
Decorative lighting
Festive cat houses
A mini fireplace setup
After reading this article, you can mix and match ideas to create a festive sanctuary for your cat family.
When setting up your home, always use caution with each item as cats can be very curious around potential hazards and may need supervision.
For more information about items mentioned in this article, you can click each description below highlighted in red to check out details of each product.*
Cat-friendly Christmas tree ideas
Placing distractions around the tree
If you already have a Christmas tree set up and want to help distract cats from the tree, below is a list of holiday-themed cat scratchers that can be placed near the Christmas tree. For more information about each product, you can click each item below highlighted in red.
Cat trees and shelves with leaves
If you prefer to buy and decorate a cat tree that looks similar to a Christmas tree, the following website links show cat trees that have shelves and fake leaves, providing features that are similar to an outdoor tree.
If you just want a small space that has fake leaves, cat wall shelves with leaves won’t take up floor space while allowing your cat to jump up to leaf-filled shelves.
DIY Cat trees and shelves
If you want to design and build your own cat tree but don’t know how to get started, click here for a brief overview of tools, materials, and instructions involved in building cat trees.
If you’re interested in building your own shelves with fake leaves, click here to get an idea of materials and time involved in building shelves.
Decorative lighting
Rope lights
If your cat family insists on biting those tiny bulbs found on many Christmas tree lights, rope lights may be a safer option since the lights are contained inside flexible clear tubing.
Multi-color rope lights (shown below to the left) can be set to change color using the remote or the button on the cord. The white rope lights (shown below to the right) can help create a more neutral tone when decorating fireplace mantles, stair rails, and more.
Multi-color puck lights
For a cordless option, battery-operated puck lights are an easy way to add lighting. You can also shop around for under-cabinet lighting for more ideas. The multi-color puck light set shown to the right can be set to change color using the remote. In the picture below, the puck lights are placed next to flameless tea light candles to create a little trail for Phoebe's entertainment.
Flameless candles
In the picture above, flameless tea light candles are used to provide extra lighting. The set shown above includes 12 battery-operated tea lights that change color when the switch is flipped on.
Since many cats tend to be curious around candles and other lights, flameless candles are an easy way to encourage them to safely explore the festive setup. The candles shown to the right are a set of 3 battery-operated pillar flameless candles.
For flameless candles that have a more realistic look, click here to see a set of 3 candles that give the illusion of real flames without the risk of fire.
For a flameless candle option that is also a projector light, click here to see a battery-operated flameless projector lamp candle designed for the holidays.
Projector lights
The projector light shown in the videos below has excellent definition and runs by an electrical cord (no batteries required). Since Phoebe discovered where the lights are coming from, I got a globe projector for her entertainment. Like laser pointers, the projector may be a bit of a tease since it encourages cats to chase the light, but they can’t catch the light. However, Phoebe found it entertaining anyways.
With the following item, curious cats can find the source of the light and may enjoy catching a moving globe of lights. The globe projector shown below is cordless and requires batteries.
Cat houses with a festive look
Holiday cat houses
Below are a couple of small cat houses that can be used in the holiday-themed setup.
Cat cottage houses
A couple of examples of cute cat houses that can be used year-round and decorated for the holidays can be seen in the links below. These are just examples, though. To find more options the keyword “cat cottage” can be used to find a variety of cat houses that have a realistic look.
An obstacle cat house
For the obstacle cat house shown below, a set of pet stairs can be placed next to it to make it easier for cats to approach the second story. The cat house was decorated using a few lighting examples described above and can be taken apart and placed away for storage in a small space.
A pet playpen
If you’re looking for something that easily folds away, a soft-sided pet playpen that folds flat may be more practical. Since I usually travel with Phoebe during the holidays, I like to keep the playpen set up in the apartment for a while so that Phoebe has plenty of time to explore the playpen and get comfortable with approaching the interior. Placing cat-friendly toys and decorations throughout the playpen is a fun way to encourage her to see it as a source of entertainment before she uses it during travel.
Using a pet playpen during holiday travel
Hotel rooms may have all sorts of germs, and there’s the possibility that I may overlook any potential hazards that can be hidden throughout the hotel room. For example, the previous user of the hotel room may have spilled a medication or other hazard that can be toxic for cats to ingest. The playpen can provide a space that’s much larger than a carrier and keep Phoebe from exposure to hazards during our brief hotel stays while traveling. The pictures below illustrate how I set up the interior of the playpen. I also place the playpen on top of the bed next to me so that Phoebe feels more secure with me nearby, and I only keep Phoebe in the playpen overnight with me nearby while providing her with plenty of food, water, and litter. I do not leave her unattended inside the playpen as this may cause some cats to look for ways to escape from the playpen in search of their humans.
Note: We only use the playpen as infrequently as possible when traveling to visit family. The playpen is not a substitute for a pet sitter. It is only used for overnight hotel stays as a safety precaution, so Phoebe is not contained in a small space for long periods of time. As soon as we arrive to visit relatives, Phoebe is free to roam inside our family's home.
An imitation fireplace mantle setup
You can set up a mini fireplace mantle setup using a table or similar item decorated with a small fireplace heater, stockings, lights, candles, or whatever your cat family prefers.
An imitation fireplace mantle
An ottoman, console table, or coffee table can be decorated to create a mini fireplace mantle.
Tiny fireplace options
Electric fireplace heaters have become popular winter items and can be found at many retail stores but can be pricey if you’re just looking for something small to add as a silly decoration. Here are a few cheaper options to choose from.
A mini fireplace candle wax warmer can be used as a silly decoration small enough to place inside of a cat house. (Note: These are not fireplace heaters. They are tiny candle wax warmers.) Always use caution and keep wax warmer away from cats if you decide to melt wax or anything else on these warmers since cats may be tempted to drink from the little bowl on top.
If you're looking for a mini fireplace for decoration purposes only, a low-cost decorative tabletop fireplace may be ideal to keep around curious pets. Keep in mind that this is not a fireplace heater.
If you prefer a mini fireplace that emits heat but is smaller than most fireplace heaters, a smaller desktop electric fireplace can be used. The led flame can operate with or without using the heat option.
The small, lightweight electric heater shown in the picture below has a safety tip over switch, low and high heat settings, and option for flame only without heat.
Stockings
Since the led light stockings shown above contain a hard display panel inside of a plastic covering, the stockings will be safer for pets if kept on the floor. The lights may grab their attention, so keeping the stockings on the floor can prevent stockings from falling if pets tug at the stockings. Toys can be hidden inside the stockings to provide a fun challenge for pets. For some pets, a softer stocking without a plexiglass panel may be more appropriate.
Decorations
In addition to the fireplace heater and stockings, other decorations for the fireplace setup may include rope lights, candles, fake leaves, and ribbon. If pets are eager to chew the leaves, a green towel, faux fur blanket or fabric can be used as a substitute to provide a green, leafy look without the plastic.
Adding extra safety features
Cord covers
If you need to cover cords, cord cover boxes (shown to the right) are an easy way to cover the bulk of the cord clutter while flexible material such as cable wrap (shown below to the left) and over-floor cord protectors (shown below to the right) can be combined or used separately to cover cords.
Mix and match to create a mini holiday-themed sanctuary: A review of pet-friendly holiday decorations
You can create a mini holiday-themed living room setup using the following accessories
A mini fireplace mantle substitution with a fireplace heater and stockings of your choice
Decorations for the imitation fireplace mantle setup may include stockings, rope lights, candles, festive ribbons, and fake leaves (leaves can be substituted with a green towel or faux fur fabric)
A decorated cat Christmas tree and/or cat house
For more details of some of the products mentioned, click below to watch the video.
* We provide examples of various products to keep you informed about options that may be useful. Products shown may contain affiliate website links. Website links are provided for informational purposes but are not recommendations. Before buying anything from the provided website links, feel free to shop around and decide if you can get each product or similar products that meet your needs at a better deal elsewhere as prices may vary over time and among retailers.
A fluffy cat was used to showcase products for illustration and entertainment purposes, but she’s not included with the products.