Why Do You Need To Kitten Proof Your Home?
Before you get a kitten, one thing that you need to consider is where your pet will be when you are not home.
Kittens are so much fun, but they are also curious little beings. They are going to love to explore and go all around your home.
Which means, unless you plan to watch your cat all day every day, you are going to need to pet proof, or kitten proof your home while they learn the ins and outs of their new home.
You also don’t want to have your new kitten accidentally destroy your favorite item because they are still getting used to your home.
What Harm Can Kittens Do?
How much damage can kittens really do? Kittens can actually do a lot of damage! Let’s talk about some examples of the damage new kittens can do if you don’t cat proof!
First, kittens can be distracted by anything that moves and by most things that they can make move!. Which means things like random items on your counters, glasses, wires, tablecloths, and anything small left out can be potentially a toy for your cat.
Kittens also love to climb! My kittens used to climb almost anything, and anyone, they can.
Cats have claws, and new cats are going to learn where they can and cannot scratch. Which means until they learn, your carpet, drapes, even your clothes are at risk in the beginning.
Finally, like I said before, kittens are curious! And like babies, they love to put things in their mouths. Which means they don’t always know when to tell if things are food, trash, or something they shouldn’t eat!
Supplies You Need
The supplies that you need to kitten proof are going to be unique to your home! However, there are some basics that I recommend everyone get.
Cat Scratch Tape:
Like I mentioned above, cats are going to scratch. Until they learn that their scratchers are where we want them to scratch, cat scratching tape is a great way to show they what NOT to scratch.
In additional, it will also keep your couches and curtains safe from excited kittens!
Cat Scratchers:
While you want to protect your furniture from cats scratching, you still need to provide them with SOMETHING to scratch.
Cat Scratchers are also found in the supplies your need for a new kitten, but for those who already have a kitten and their basic supplies, cat scratchers are just THAT important!
You don’t have to break the bank on cat scratchers, although they are an investment so buy one that you think your cats will actually use!
CritterCord:
This invention will save you on SO MUCH MONEY! These are wire protectors that go around your cords and protect them from cats chewing on them!
The last thing you need is to be in a meeting and have your laptop die because your cat had chewed through the cord. It is also extremely dangerous for them to chew those types of wires as well!
Cat Food Bins:
I like to get large pins to store my cat food in. This prevents my cats from ripping open their bags of food, it also keeps the food safe and fresh for when it is time for feed them!
You don’t have to get anything fancy, but they aren’t expensive so be unique!
You can get
Plastic Containers:
Plastic containers are really a recommendation when it comes to pet proofing your home. The thought is to have containers for everything so that you don’t have items laying on your counter or floor for your cats to get into.
My husband and I joke that anything we don’t want the cats to get into, we put into a container! If you don’t have a lot of things laying on your counter, then you may not need the plastic container strategy, but I always like to recommend it as a suggestion!
I’ve also been REALLY into containers (Thanks a lot The Home Edit) so any excuse to organize is a good enough excuse for me.
Baby Gate or Kitten Playpen:
If you have stairs, then you want to make sure you have a baby gate! A baby gate will keep your cats away from locations that you don’t want them in!
The biggest thing to remember with baby cats is that your cats are small! You want to make sure they can’t just walk through the baby gates!
How To Kitten Proof Your Home
When you think about kitten-proofing your home, it is going to be unique to each household. Imagine a toddler wandering around your home, grabbing anything that interests them and putting it into their mouth. Kittens are toddlers. Toddlers who can jump way higher than a typical toddler could climb.
Let’s take you through common questions you should ask yourself when pet proofing your home.
- Are there shelves or cabinets that your kitten could jump into and get the items on or inside?
- Do any of your hobbies contain harmful items? Do you sew? I love to do the diamond paintings. I had to make sure I put all my little “diamonds” in contains so my kittens didn’t swallow them.
- Do you have blinds inside your window? Are they something cats could reach? Cats can get tangled up in the blinds and break them potentially.
- Are your trash cans covered? Make sure trash cans are covered. Cats can jump into them, and even take things out of them!
- Do you keep everything off of the floor? You never know what item could fall and be dangerous for your kitty. (I use my hardwood floor vacuum daily just to be safe!
- Do you have long curtains? Can you keep them up high while your cat is learning to scratch on the “right” surfaces? It’s not always possible but it just helps them from scratching up a furniture
- Do you have cords laying around? Cover electric cords, such as the tangle from your computer, with covers sold for that purpose. Enter CritterCord!
- Do you have plants? Some plants can be poisonous to cats. You want to make sure the plants you have in your home are safe for cats! And any that aren’t are places your kitten could NEVER reach!
- Do you have stairs? If you have stairs, a baby gate is a great way to keep kittens on one floor while they are getting used to the house.
These questions are just the start of what you want to consider when you go about kitten proofing your home. I like to tell people to think about toddler-proofing when it comes to deciding what is safe for cats and what you need to do to keep you cat safe.
And a lot of this stuff is only for a little while (minus the poisonous stuff) while you kittens are getting used to their own homes.
Pet Proofing an apartment
An apartment is just like a home when it comes to pet proofing, you want to ask yourself all of the same questions that you asked above.
The biggest thing you need to think about in apartments it’s two things:
- What would happen if your cat escaped? Do you have a hallway where you cat would wander or is it open to the world?
- In the same breath, are you on a high level in your apartment? You want to make sure if your cat ever did escape, that it couldn’t fall from an unsightly height and hurt themselves.
Remember, you want to ask yourself similar to questions to if you have a toddler. Only the toddler can’t talk back, oh and can jump six times their height.
Pet proofing your home
After reading all of this, pet proofing your home for your new kitten my seem scary. But I promise, it doesn’t have to be.
And the best thing is, if you completely kitten proof your home, you don’t have to stress about what your new kitten is doing when you need to unwind a little.
The last thing to think about is, you would rather over pet proof your home than under proof and have your kitten get into trouble.
Once you have kitten-proofed your home, you are one step closer to being completely ready for a new kitten. Ready for your next steps? Make sure you check out The 7 Things You Need To Do To Introduce a New Kitten To Your Home.