Over all the years of havig cats we have never had an issue with any of our cats climbing the trees. Not a single cat we ever had bothered with the trees at all. My RB Mytsi was the first to be interested and she wasn't interested in the tree it was the tree skirt. It was one of those that is plush like the santa suit and she loved laying and napping on it. After she passed we got Lilith and Vixen and their first christmas they were 10 months and 8 months and Vixen at 8 months was wild. But they never bothered it either. We had problems keeping Vixen out of the stockings but never out of the tree. I guess I have odd kitties. They must take after their meowmie.