The moment she is already up there
Your first job is not to make the tree cat-proof; it is to end this climb without a crash. Speak to her normally, resist grabbing for a tail or a back leg, and put something she genuinely loves — the treat she comes running for, the wand toy she cannot ignore — at the base where she can plan her own descent. Cats climb down backwards and awkwardly, so give her time and a clear landing rather than an audience pressing in.
If the tree is rocking, one person steadies the trunk while another lures. Switch the lights off at the wall while she is among the branches, and if she has tangled herself in a light string, keep her still and supported while someone frees the cable — never let her dangle or twist against it.
Why this tree, and why she will try again
From her perspective the tree is a triumph: a tall, fragrant, climbable structure that appeared in her territory, hung with swinging objects at exactly pouncing height. Punishing the climb teaches her nothing about the tree and plenty about doing it when you are out. She will try again tonight, and the honest goal is a tree that survives her attempts and bores her faster.
Tinsel deserves a special removal: strands are irresistible to chew and swallow, and swallowed tinsel is a genuine emergency rather than a decoration mishap. Glass baubles low on the tree, dangling hooks, and trailing light cables are the other prizes to strip before she rediscovers them.
Rebuilding the setup so a climb does less harm
Anchor the tree so it cannot topple — a heavy, wide base, and where possible a discreet tie to a wall or window frame. Move it away from the sofa arm or shelf she uses as a launchpad, because most tree climbs start with an easy first leap. Decorate the top two-thirds more richly than the bottom, choose shatterproof ornaments for any branch she can still reach, and route light cables tight to the trunk and out of sight rather than looping them where paws bat.
Keep water in a real tree's stand covered so she cannot drink it, sweep fallen needles she might chew, and unplug lights overnight and when the room is empty. A citrus scent or foil skirt around the base discourages some cats, though none of it replaces anchoring and supervision.
Offer a better summit in the same room
Place her cat tree, a cleared shelf, or a tall scratcher near the Christmas tree and make it pay better: treats appear there, play starts there, the best sunny nap spot is there. When she chooses the sanctioned perch, reward the choice rather than only reacting to the forbidden one. Redirect each tree attempt the same calm way and the new route becomes habit for most cats within the season.
Kittens and young, athletic cats need this alternative most; expecting them to ignore the only tall object in the room through willpower alone is a plan designed to fail at midnight.
Household routines for the tree's whole stay
Agree who checks the tree before lights go on each evening, who unplugs them last thing, and that the living-room door closes when nobody is in there. A fallen bauble, a chewed cable, or new tinsel on the floor is a fix-it-now finding, not a morning job, because she revisits the scene of the fun.
Those small recurring checks are easier kept when they belong to named people on named days, and KinsLe helps organise exactly that because Care Teams lets you assign care duties per pet to family and helpers, with completed tasks marked off with a timestamp.