Are Christmas Trees Toxic to Cats? Keeping Your Cat Safe During the Holiday Season

By Katie Grzyb, DVM. Reviewed by Barri J. Morrison, DVM

Updated Oct. 14, 2025

iStock/Siarhei SHUNTSIKAU

Key Takeaways

Christmas trees can pose mild to serious health risks to cats, depending on the type of tree and how much is ingested.
Additives in tree water, including xylitol and preservatives, are potentially toxic to cats and should be avoided.
Decorations like tinsel, glass ornaments, and lights pose choking and electrocution hazards.
Using physical barriers and pet cameras can help create a safer holiday environment.

Are Christmas Trees Poisonous to Cats?

Tree Needles

Yes, but it depends on what kind of tree they ingest and how much of it. The most common type of trees that are used for the holidays are fir, spruce, and pine.

The needles from these trees are all mildly toxic to cats if ingested primarily due to their sap and oil concentration. However, your cat would have to ingest a lot of needles to cause severe toxicity.

Signs of Christmas tree needle toxicity in cats may include:

Gastrointestinal upset

Irritation to the mouth due to oils from the needles

Fallen needles can also impact, obstruct, or even puncture the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, leading to severe illness.

It’s best to call Pet Poison Helpline or your vet if your cat consumes any amount of tree needles to determine next steps.

Tree Water

Cats will also often lap up the water at the base of the Christmas tree, so it’s important to not use any additives to prolong the life of the tree. The toxic tree oils can be in the water as well.

The most popular options—fertilizers, preservatives, sugar substitutes (especially xylitol)—can be toxic and very harmful to cats.

These ingredients can cause mild signs, such as belly upset, to severe signs, such as seizures, liver issues, and kidney issues.

If you do use water additives, get a covered tree base or block off your cat’s access to the tree entirely to avoid ingestion.

You can also consider investing in a tall cat gate to keep your cat completely out of the room where your Christmas tree is placed.

Other Christmas Tree Safety Hazards for Cats

The tree itself is not the only concern when it comes to cat holiday safety. Here are some other dangers to be mindful of when spreading holiday cheer.

Decorations

Decorations can be even more detrimental than the needles or the water to our feline friends.

Ornaments, especially glass ones, can cause choking hazards or lacerations to the mouth and gastrointestinal tract if they fall and shatter. The fragments can also cause blockages or perforations in the intestines or stomach, which can only be treated with surgery.

Tinsel and garlands are also hazardous to cats if ingested. Long, thin, string-like materials such as these often lead to obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract.

One piece of tinsel may get stuck under the tongue, while the other end continues to move through the esophagus and stomach into the small intestine, causing a linear gastrointestinal blockage.

This tiny, string-like decoration can become sharp and cut through the intestine once this occurs. Surgical removal and repair is the only treatment. Sometimes, sepsis or generalized infection occurs if there is an intestinal perforation.

It’s best to skip tinsel or any string-like decoration on the tree if you have cats in the home.

Lights and Electrical Cords

Christmas lights and electrical cords are major hazards if chewed, as they can cause shock that results in burns, heart arrhythmia, trouble breathing, and even death.

You can cover your electrical cords with a pet-proof cord protector, like the MyPet Safety Paws Ruff and Tuff Cord Protector to help keep cats safe from any electrical hazards.

How to Create a Cat-Safe Christmas Tree

Just because there are certain dangers for cats doesn’t mean you can’t have a Christmas tree. Here are some tips for keeping your cat safe around the tree throughout the holidays:

An artificial Christmas tree can help you avoid the dangers of water additive/tree needle ingestion. However, you will still need to be cautious, since chewing plastic or aluminum can still lead to oral irritation as well as blockage of the intestines if pieces are ingested.

If you want a real tree, try finding a “non-drop” option such as a Nordmann Fir. These trees tend to not drop their needles like other live Christmas tree options.

Partitioning off the entire Christmas tree can be difficult, and not the most elegant choice. However, you can try blocking off the tree with a cat pen or gate, like the MyPet Extra Tall and Wide Walk Thru Easypass Cat Gate, to keep your cat out.

Using a heavy tree base or attaching weights to the base can help keep your kitty from knocking it over. You could also attach the tree to the wall to avoid toppling.

Try using a deterrent spray around the base of the tree to help discourage your cat from returning to the area. Make sure to find an option that is safe for cats like Nature’s Miracle Advanced Platinum Cat Scratch Deterrent Spray.

Invest in a pet camera so that you can monitor your cat while you’re away and ensure they aren’t getting into trouble around the tree. You can also try a pet tracking camera collar, like the Luckylala Pet Tracking Camera Collar, which allows you to see what your cat is immediately up to from their very own point of view.

Use battery-operated tree lights and hide the battery pack in the tree itself to help lessen the risk of electrocution. If you prefer to keep live wires make sure to cover them with a cord protector to minimize risk to your cat.

Overall, if you cannot keep your cat safe around your Christmas tree no matter how you try to safety-proof it, you should keep your cat out of the room where the tree is kept.

Too many injuries can occur, and this is the best way to keep your cat happy and healthy during the holiday season.