Christmas trees pose all sorts of hidden dangers for pets, and vice versa. Each holiday season, many pet owners end up with toppled Christmas trees, broken ornaments, damaged holiday decorations, and sick or injured cats, dogs or birds.

Fortunately, there are a few safeguards that homeowners can take to pet-proof a Christmas tree: prevent pets from knocking over the artificial Christmas tree, breaking ornaments, chewing on the tree branches, clawing the Christmas light cords and other potentially dangerous antics.

The following tips will not only keep your tree and decorations safe, but your pet as well:

1.    Keep your pet away. The easiest way to stop pets from interfering with an artificial Christmas tree is to keep them away from it. This can mean locking the cat or dog out of the room where the tree is in or placing some baby gates around the tree.

Mats are also often a safe and effective ways to train cats or dogs to stay away from restricted areas. Also consider training sprays sold in pet stores. Cats are not huge fans of citrus based odors. You can spray a little on the tree skirt to see if your cat will stay away. There are other training sprays that are that can be useful on dogs as well.

2.    Secure the tree. With a piece of wire, attach the top of the tree to a hook in the ceiling so it can't tip over. Evenly distribute the weight of the branches over the center pole. The frame of the tree and the stand must be strong enough to hold the weight of the artificial Christmas tree and the weight of the ornaments firmly in place.

Also, make sure that you have a sturdy tree stand. Plastic stands are only suitable for trees about two feet tall. Other trees should be placed in a sturdy stand made from quality steel with strong welds or rivets.

3.    Secure ornaments. Wire hooks to hold ornaments can easily snag on a pet’s mouth or be dangerous if swallowed. If you use a string or ribbon to attach the ornaments, a pet can choke on either if it detaches. Your best bet is to make sure all wire hooks and strings or ribbons are tightly wrapped around the branch.

This will also help prevent any ornaments from easily falling off the tree and breaking - which can also pose a risk to pets and anyone else! If an ornament breaks, your pet can suffer from cuts on their paws if they step on any broken pieces or can cut tissues in their gastrointestinal tract if ingested.

4.    Avoid tasty decor. When decorating your artificial Christmas tree, avoid using food as décor—animals don't know the difference. If your family pet eats them, they can cause blockages, which often require surgery to remove.

Remember not to use chocolate ornaments if there's a chance that your pet could pull them off. An ingredient called theobromine can have a toxic effect on dogs. Common holiday foods like butter, meat, and candy can also make pets very ill.

5.    Avoid attractive, dangerous ornaments. Keep your cat from pouncing on your favorite ornaments by placing tinsel, glass bulbs, and things that sparkle higher up on your tree. Fragile or valuable ornaments should also be hung at least two-thirds of the way up the tree where they can't be reached.

Place decorations that contain mistletoe, poinsettias and holly only in high sections of the tree, where your pet will be unable to get the tempting leaves and berries. They can cause heartbeat and blood pressure to drop.

Also consider avoiding tinsel altogether, since your dog can choke on it. Keep in mind that some of the older tinsel contains lead.

6.    Safeguard electrical cords. Tape indoor wires to the wall and outdoor wires to the side of the house where your pup can’t reach them. Indoors, try pretty patterned masking tape to add a festive touch to your pet proofing.

Puppies and kittens are more likely to play with or chew on electrical cords that are in plain sight. The danger of this is that a playful pet can pull the lights off of the artificial Christmas tree, which can, in turn, pull down the tree or knock off ornaments. There is also a chance your pet can become tangled in any cords. Chewing on the electrical cords can cause electrocution. If you cannot position the cords above the floor, you can tape them to the floor or wall or use cord covers such as the Critter Cord.

Unplug all decorations when not in use and inspect all cords before plugging in Christmas lights, electric candles and other electric holiday decorations. Pets may claw or chew on the cords when not in use, creating a fire hazard when the item is plugged in again.

The safety of your pet and your artificial Christmas tree is a concern during holidays. With these helpful tips, everyone’s holiday can be safe and enjoyable.