How can we keep our cat away...

Folks have suggested a lot of things over the years, and you may have to try several until you find a method that fits your cat’s personality. The most direct route may be to keep your cat out of the room where the tree is. If that’s not possible, try lining the tree’s lower trunk with aluminum foil. Some cats hate the sound and feel of it and won’t try to climb up with the foil there. Another trick may be to keep a pot of ryegrass or catnip near the tree to act as a diversion. Cats may respond to loud noises or the popular method of spraying water at them when they begin to attack the tree, but we’ve found that their little cat brains forget this message pretty quickly, and they’re soon back to cause trouble again.