Your kitten is a born explorer. By allowing her to explore her environment, you’ll help her establish a safe and secure territory.
Bringing a kitten home? It must be a super exciting time for you, but have you ensured that your home is a safe space for the furball? Kittens are instinctively curious and love to go exploring new places, which makes kitten proofing your living space it all the more important for you. This includes protecting your furniture, securing cabinets with childproof latches, and making sure your backyard and garage are free of toxic items or objects that may cause injury to the tiny explorer. If you are confused about where to start and how to best go about cat proofing your house, worry no more! Here are ten essential steps on how to kitten proof your home to ensure your little munchkin’s safety and well-being. By following these tips, you'll be confident that your new friend can safely navigate your home and enjoy a happy, healthy, purrfect life.
Why kitten-proof?
Kittens are playful with boundless energy and a keen sense of adventure. They will definitely pounce, leap, or scratch at anything that interests them (which, frankly, are most things!) Thus, they often hurt themselves or damage household items. Cat proofing your home is essential to avoid both. Here are a few things to remember when creating a kitten safe house:
- Beware of small items like marbles, board game pieces, and even trash as these are dangerous for your little darling.
- Keep all breakable items away for a while as kittens are prone to destroying them.
- You cannot stop a kitten from climbing and darting off in all possible directions. So, be careful with open doors and windows that they may escape through.
- Remember that kittens have not learnt to distinguish between cat treats and potentially toxic food.
- Kittens love scratching which means your favourite clothes, shoes, and bed sheets must be kept off the kitty zone.
Steps to kitten-proof your home
Carefully examine the space of your home inch by inch:
This is the first step when considering how to kitten proof your home. Kittens fit everywhere and can climb onto almost any surface. You have to enter every room in your home with the temperament of a kitten to identify that sharp edge where little furry can hurt themselves or that shelf with glass displays that kitty may damage. You have to ensure that your home is a sanctuary, a perfect cat’s home where little furry is safe and happy.
Stow away tablecloths, rugs, and favourite bed sheets:
Keep your valuable scratchable items away if you don’t want your little munchkin shredding them to bits! Also, investing in scratch proof covers for your sofa is a must.
Keep doors closed at all times:
This includes doors to your washer-dryer and your bathroom. Kittens may not only escape through open doors and windows of houses but may think of the washer-dryer as a safe, warm space and attempt to drink water from the toilet, thereby running the risk of several injuries.
Secure cabinets with childproof locks:
This step of cat proofing is for ensuring that your feline buddy does not inadvertently ingest medicines or other potentially toxic items. This will also ensure that objects within the cabinet are not damaged by your curious little friend.
Don’t leave food uncovered:
The smell of food will surely entice your little furball to have a taste. There are certain human food cats absolutely must not have such as chocolates and raisins.
Ensure that all wires in your home are encased in chew-proof PVC:
Kittens have a habit of chewing wires thereby risking burns and electrocution. Hence ensure that wires from household appliances don’t dangle within their reach and are encased in scratch proof and chew-proof PVC.
Invest in certain kitty supplies:
Kitten supplies like a sturdy scratching post, chewies, and toys are essential strategies to keep your kitten engaged and entertained when considering how to kitten proof your home. Place these strategically in areas with vulnerable furniture such as near the sofa so that scratching or chewing on these rather than your furniture will be more attractive to the restless munchkins.
Maintain a routine check for small objects on the floor:
Remove small objects like toffees, marbles, erasers, small toys, rubber bands, and so on from your kitten’s reach as the little furries may hurt themselves by ingesting these items.
Certain houseplants may be toxic for cats:
If you are a plant parent as well, you need to remember that certain plants like lilies, azaleas, mistletoe, poinsettia, and philodendron are extremely toxic for kittens and must be kept out of their reach.
Ensure that any form of pest control you use is animal-safe:
As some commercial pest control products may make cats severely ill if ingested, make sure you only use ones that are animal-safe.
FAQs on kitten-proofing your home
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Can you toilet-train a cat?
Yes, it is possible to toilet-train your cat. With patience and by following the right methods, you can train your kitten to use the toilet and keep it clean too! But it might take a little longer than litter training.
Do you have to train a cat to use the litter box?
Yes, a cat needs to be trained to use the litter box. Generally, a kitten learns from its mother to pee and poop in the right place. But you too can train your cat by getting them used to the litter box.
How can I train my cat to use the litter box?
- Keep the litter box in a proper place
- Put enough litter in the litter
- Put the kitty in the box so that it gets accustomed to the litter box
- Try making changes to the litter box if the kitty doesn't use it
How long does it take to train a cat to litter?
Kittens have to be placed in the box many times for several days to get an idea of the litter box. It might take longer to train adult cats. On average, it takes around 4 weeks to train a cat to litter.
What is the fastest way to litter train a cat?
The fastest way to litter-train a cat is to start training it when it is still a baby. Kittens are quick learners and less fussy about their preferences. Use positive reinforcements such as treats and cuddles to train them easily.
Is it cruel to keep cats indoors?
Indoor cats often lack the freedom enjoyed by outdoor cats, which may cause them to feel irritated or upset. However, being indoors significantly eliminates the risks to their health. Just make sure to keep them stimulated, well fed and hydrated.
Are outdoor cats happier than indoor cats?
Outdoor cats have easy access to go on wonderful adventures and exercise their freedom. Hence their curiosity and sense of self are more prominent and satisfied. In comparison, indoor cats often feel restricted, causing them to be irritated or upset, creating a stark difference when it comes to indoor vs outdoor cats.
Is it ok to have an indoor-outdoor cat?
Confused with indoor cats vs outdoor cats? It is natural for your indoor cat to want to go on outdoor adventures. It is okay to have an indoor cat who enjoys going outside but make sure that your kitty is regularly checked out for diseases and parasites.
Is it better to have an indoor or outdoor cat?
Indoor vs outdoor cats have their fair share of strengths and weaknesses. However, when it comes to the general health and life expectancy of cats, indoor fur babies tend to be healthier and live much longer than their outdoor counterparts.
Should I kitten-proof my balcony or window?
You can take steps like keeping cotton drapes and blind cords out of your fur baby’s reach, keeping windows and balcony doors closed unless the kitten is being supervised, and ensuring that plants toxic to cats aren’t within their reach.
How do I kitten-proof my home?
Some crucial first steps of kitten-proofing homes are:
- Keeping doors and windows locked
- Having protective covering on wires and vulnerable furniture like sofas
- Keeping small objects off the floor
- Never leaving food uncovered
- Using childproof latches on cabinets
Is kitten-proofing my house necessary?
If you are thinking of getting a kitten, definitely! You would want to create a safe cat house for your new furry friend and also protect your household goods and furniture from curious kitties. Kitten-proofing your home ensures both.
Do cats fake sleep?
Yes, they do. Cats fake sleep for a number of reasons such as when they are stressed or looking to get some pets from you.
Do cats care if you sleep with them?
Most cats love co-sleeping with their humans and they will happily snooze curled up beside you or on your lap.
Is a Cat Always in Deep Sleep?
Cats deep sleep for about 1/4th of their sleeping hours with the rest 3/4th dedicated to light sleeping or just snoozing. During light sleep, your furry friend is still resting, but in an alert state.
How many hours does a cat sleep in a week?
In general, cats sleep for around 13-16 hours per day, but this duration can extent to over 18 hours in some cats. So, how long do cats sleep in a week? Well, cats sleep a whopping 91 to more than 126 hours per week!
Do Cats Dream and Snore?
Yes, cats dream and snore. You will find your sleeping kitten twitching, moving their paws, making noises, and stretching. They can also snore when deeply asleep. Snoring is normal as long it’s not accompanied by other problems like sneezing, nose or eye discharge, coughing, or appetite changes.
How do I calm my cat to cut its nails?
While most cats are tolerant of having their nails cut by someone they love, it is always a good idea to reward them with cat treats or shower them with affection, helping them calm down while you trim their nails.
Do cats get mad when you cut their nails?
Trimming nails can make cats uncomfortable and fussy. So, avoid cutting cat nails when they are playing or stressed. It is important to give your kitty a nail trim once it is relaxed and comfy, like right after their mealtimes.
What happens if you don’t trim your cat’s nails?
Once it grows too long, your fur baby’s nails can curve and grow into their soft paw pads, causing immense discomfort and pain. Failing to make sure to cut the cat’s nails also significantly raises the risks of bacterial infection.
Is it necessary to trim a cat’s claws?
No, it is not always necessary to cut cat nails unless they have grown too long. Cats rely on their claws for multiple purposes like climbing and marking their territories, making it a significant limitation of cut cat’s nails.
Do cats realise their claws hurt?
As kittens, felines are used to rough play which often includes playfully scratching and biting their loved ones. However, they do not always realise that their claws can hurt their favourite humans, however innocent and loving their intentions may be.
Do cats remember their owners when alone for a few days?
Cats are territorial and independent, but they are also incredibly affectionate and loving and miss their loved ones in their absence. So, you do not have to worry about your cat forgetting you when left alone for a few days.
Can I leave my cat alone for a few days?
While it is not recommended, you can leave your fur kiddo for 2-3 days alone at home without any supervision. Just make sure there are sufficient food, fresh water, and litter tray with enough litter available at their disposal.
What can I do with my cat when I go away?
To ensure your fur buddy stays healthy while you are away, you can opt for a cattery or cat-sitting service. Also, remember to take the necessary measures to make sure they are well-fed and hydrated while you are away.
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