Keeping Your Home Safe for Cats or Kittens

Kitten-Proof Your House And Yard

Keep cabinets and drawers closed, and keep medicines, cleaning supplies and pest control products safely out of their reach.

Remove potted plants, except for cat grass, as most plants are dangerous and some are poisonous to cats.  Even non-poisonous plants can cause intestinal problems for cats. Here is a partial list of plants that are toxic to cats:  Amaryllis, Crocus, Azaleas, Chrysanthemum, Cyclamen, Dieffenbachia, English ivy, Kalanchoe, Lilies, Oleander, Peace Lily, Poinsettia, Pothos, Rubber Plant,  Sago Palm, Tulips and Weeping Fig.

Keep trash cans and wastebaskets out of reach or use covered wastebaskets.

Store plastic bags where your kitten can’t get inside them and suffocate, or chew and tear them, or swallow bits of plastic.  If you let your kitten or cat play with a paper bag, be sure to cut off the handles as she could get tangled in them.

Keep drapery and blinds cords coiled up and out of reach.  A kitten could easily strangle itself by getting the cord wrapped around its neck or by swallowing chewed pieces of the plastic pulls.

Remove tablecloths and tie up or remove cloth drapes and curtains until your kitten is trained to use a scratching post.

Keep your toilet lid down to prevent kitty from falling in and possibly drowning.  It’s best to keep the bathroom off limits, if possible.

Always keep the door to your clothes dryer closed and always check inside the drier before using it. Cats like to find dark, warm places to sleep, and the results could be tragic.

Before leaving home, always conduct a “kitten check” to make sure that she has not been accidentally locked in a closet or empty room.

Unplug any electric cords that are not in use, and cover those cords that are being used. This will protect your cat if she is a chewer.

Pack away fragile objects and treasures or find a secure way to display them.  Cats are explorers, and they will jump on tables, cabinets, and bookshelves.  Keep anything that may be broken or may be harmful to them away from their curiosity.

Secure your door and window screens and ensure that the latches are sturdy. Don’t run the risk of your cat slipping outside on a warm day when your windows are open.

In keeping with the safety of all pets kept in the home, always use animal-safe insect repellent or pest control products.

If your cat or kitten will be indoors-outdoors kept, be sure that your yard is clear of hazardous materials, snail poisons, rodent traps or any other products that might be harmful to them.

Pet Care Tips

1. Use safety/breakaway collars made specifically for cats, which are designed to break if the kitty catches its collar on something.  Other collars are designed not to break and can strangle your kitten if it gets caught.
2. Talk with your veterinarian about having your kitten or cat micro-chipped. Should your pet wander away and get lost, they can be easily identified and are far more likely to be returned to you.
3. Bitter apple or lemon-scented sprays are both very good for marking areas that you wish to be off-limits to your kitten. Grannicks Bitter Apple Original Dog Spray is reviewed to be very effective for cats and is available on Chewy.com.
4. The common sense secret to kitten-proofing your house is to “look through the eyes of a cat”.  If you see things that are attractive as toys or amusement and it’s something harmful, remove it or make it safe.
5. If at all possible, keep your kitten or cat inside at all times. There are many dangers animals face when outdoors, so make his indoor world interesting with a variety of safe toys and give him loving attention.

You and your kitten or cat will hopefully have a wonderful relationship for many years, so keep him safe and healthy and enjoy each stage of his life.

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