Will Orange & Cinnamon Ornaments Really Keep Your Cat Away From The Christmas Tree?

Decorating the Christmas tree can be one of the most exciting ways to celebrate the holiday season. Yet, it can quickly become a frustrating experience when your cat decides to make the perfectly-decorated tree their playground. To fix this problem, some believe that decorating with orange and cinnamon ornaments can help keep your cat away. But does this hack actually work? We discovered that many agree it does, which means it might be an effective solution to protect your tree during the holidays. This is because oranges and cinnamon are unpleasant scents for felines.

To a cat, a Christmas tree provides endless opportunities for fun. The bright lights and shiny ornaments make this the perfect object for a feline to explore. They may climb up the trunk or use the ornaments and lights as toys. They also like to hide, and the branches provide a safe and comfortable place for them to do just that. Cats may feel particularly safe and secure hiding in a Christmas tree, as it is often located in a central location in the home. However, besides making a mess and breaking precious ornaments, a cat could also get hurt when playing with a tree, especially if a glass ornament shatters or if the tree topples over. That's why it's so important to take steps to keep your pets safe around the Christmas tree, and orange and cinnamon ornaments may do the trick.

Orange and cinnamon ornaments may help to keep cats away from the Christmas tree because both scents are generally unpleasant to cats, so they will avoid them. Both are quite strong, since oranges give off a sour, citrus scent and cinnamon has a pungent, spicy fragrance. Just a whiff of either or both of these ingredients may be enough to keep them away. However, not all cats are deterred by these scents, and some may become accustomed to them over time. Because of this, you may want to use this hack in conjunction with other ways to keep your pets from destroying your Christmas tree. 

There are a few ways to add these items to your tree, including making them into ornaments and hanging them on the branches. You could dry out orange slices and tie together cinnamon sticks, then string up these items with some twine. When using these ornaments to keep your cat away, place them throughout the tree and not just at the base. This will help to create a more uniform scent barrier. You can also place fresh orange peels and cinnamon sticks under the tree skirt to deter cats from going near it. Or, you could add orange peels to the water in the tree stand to deter your cat from drinking the water. Also, keep in mind that the scent will fade over time, so the pieces may need to be replaced. 

While most cats will stay away from cinnamon and orange slice ornaments, if your cat decides to eat these ingredients, they may have unpleasant symptoms. While cinnamon isn't considered toxic to cats, if a large amount is ingested, you may notice some negative health effects. Real cinnamon could cause vomiting, diarrhea, and mouth irritation if eaten, per Daily Paws. Further, orange peels are considered mildly toxic, and Wag! says that the essential oils in citrus fruits can also cause vomiting, diarrhea, and skin irritation for felines. If either of these ingredients were eaten, your cat would require an immediate visit to the vet. However, since most cats will gladly stay away from them because of their unpleasant scents, this hack is typically low risk. To be cautious, you should still keep an eye on your cat when they are around the tree to ensure they don't consume the oranges or cinnamon. 

Further, it may also take some time for your cat to learn to associate the negative scents with the Christmas tree and avoid it. If you find that your cat is still attracted to the tree, you may need to pair this hack with other deterrents. Try putting the tree in a stable location and secure it to the wall so that it cannot be knocked over. Place breakable ornaments on higher branches so they're out of reach, and provide your feline with plenty of other toys to keep them occupied.