I guess all of us have had the Christmas tree experience. The suggestion to put only wooden ornaments on the bottom is a good one. That is what I had to do. I think the shiny little balls are just too much for a cat to resist. I also found that as the cats got older they realized the tree was something very special. All of my males would curl up right under the tree on the sheet covering the base and look just adorable. For me, they were always the best gift under the tree.