Becca, I've never in over 42 years had a problem with the cats and the Christmas tree. I usually hang belled ornaments along the bottom (though now we have a smaller tree and it's raised on a table). Not even when the squirrel terrarium window was directly behind the tree. (I could just visualize three cats sitting in the tree staring at mama squirrel.)

Once, many years ago, Samantha, a very polite Siamese, waited until we were taking the tree down, the ornaments were off and the tree was on its side. Then she sat in it and bopped the tinsel.

Haven't used tinsel in over 35 years.

Linn