Keep your tree away from furniture like sofas or tables. That way, your cat won’t have a launching pad to pounce from.

Put a scented deterrent near the tree. You can try placing orange peels at the base of the tree, using an orange or citrus-scented spray-on branch, or putting apple cider vinegar-coated pine cones near the tree. There are also ready-made cat deterrents available at most pet stores.

Cover the trunk of your live Christmas tree with aluminum foil. Cats can’t stand the way foil feels on their paws, so they’ll likely steer clear of it.