If you’re considering adding a kitten to your family, know that they are purring creatures that can sometimes get themselves into trouble! Like human babies, kittens learn about their environment by exploring with their eyes, nose, paws, and mouth. Besides their curiosity, kittens have a surprisingly good ability to jump, claw, and crawl through small spaces. They can easily get themselves into dangerous situations as a result.
Cats are fascinated by anything that moves. Any dangling or moving objects will be a favorite target for your kitten. In addition, anything that they can move with their own paws will be interesting to them, such as items on your countertops and wires. Sometimes these items are easily broken or dangerous for your cat, so you’ll want to move them before bringing a new kitten into your home.
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Kittens also need to sharpen their claws. If they’re not taught what they can and cannot scratch on, they’ll use everything in your house as a scratching post and ultimately rip up our clothes and furniture.
Lastly, kittens don’t have the ability to tell the difference between safe and unsafe foods. They have a great sense of smell and will eat anything from trash found on the floor to your dinner left on the table!
To keep your new cat from going where they’re not supposed to, eating anything dangerous, and scratching all your nice furniture, you should kitten-proof your home.
Throw out hazardous items
It may seem like there’s nothing on the ground that your cat can get to, but you’d be surprised how many easy-to-miss objects can be dangerous for cats. Clean their personal areas and vacuum your floors to get rid of any small things they could nibble on and then double check for choking hazards. Some common items to look out for are:
Strings
Ribbons
Hair ties
Rubber bands
Erasers
Plastic bags
Also, check your shelves and countertops for loose items that could be knocked over by a curious cat. Move anything breakable or dangerous to a spot that a kitten can’t get to. Other loose items that can’t be moved, such as electrical wires, should be covered up or taped down. Lastly, consider buying childproof locks for cabinets that have hazardous items inside of them and keep the door closed at all times to rooms you don’t want your cat venturing into. Consider getting them some interactive toys.
Kitten-proof furniture
Kittens love to scratch and will especially enjoy couches, tables, rugs, carpets, and drapes. To give your cat an outlet to scratch on, buy a scratching post and train him or her to only use the post for their scratching needs. Tie your curtains up securely and cover your scratchable furniture until your kitten is trained to use a scratching post.
Besides a possible fondness for baths, cats love to sunbathe and will be curious as to what the outdoors has to offer. As a result, they will often jump onto your windowsill and may attempt to go outside of the window is open or the screen isn’t locked. To keep your cat safe, check all the screens on your windows and doors to make sure they are closed and securely locked. You can also purchase cat-proof window screens and blinds to be extra safe.
Be careful with food, beverages, and other poisonous substances
Cover any food gets left out. Kittens have fantastic noses and will be attracted to many kinds of foods. Your cat will likely help themselves to a snack or meal left out if you’re not careful! Be especially cautious of foods that are harmful to cats, such as chocolate, grapes, undercooked meats, coffee, and dairy. This means the butter on your counter needs to be securely covered!
If your cats are thirsty, they will drink water from anywhere they find it, even if it’s not a safe option for them. One easy spot they typically go for is your toilet. To keep them from drinking your toilet water, keep your lid down at all times! Besides just drinking this unsafe water, kittens could potentially fall in and drown. Other containers in your home that you should keep closed for your cat’s safety are garbage cans, laundry bins, washing machines, and drying machines.
Many household plants and flower bouquets are actually toxic for your cat! You need to be extremely careful with what plants you add to your home, as some can be fatal for cats. Lilies, mistletoe, daffodils, philodendron, azaleas, and poinsettia are all common plants that can make your kitten very sick. Check all your houseplants with your veterinarian before bringing your kitten home.
Lastly, if your cat will be an outdoor cat, make sure your yard is clear of hazardous plants as well as snail poison, animal traps, and other dangerous materials. Use animal-safe pest control and keep toxic items like antifreeze locked up and out of your cat’s reach. Also make sure any essential oils you have are cat-friendly.
Cat hotspots
Cats love warmth! They will frequently try to curl up and snuggle into warm areas. However, these areas aren’t always safe for them. To keep your kitten from getting too close to the fireplace or wood stove, reinforce that they need to steer clear.
Be patient
You can’t expect your new cat to understand all the house rules at once, even if he or she is an adult. Don’t punish them for misbehaving. This can make your cat feel stressed and isolated. Instead, properly train your cat and reward her for good behavior. Your cat will look to you for direction as she learns, so guide her as you would a young child. If your cat is gravitating toward a dangerous area or object, redirect her, address any safety issues, and speak to her in a calm voice. Not only will this teach her what is acceptable, but it will also deepen the bond between the two of you.
Here at Spot Pet Insurance, we know that your cat’s health and well-being is of the utmost importance to you. We understand how much you cherish your furry friends and we want to be there to help you with what you may need to help keep them safe and happy.
For advice on things pet-related, check out Spot Pet Insurance’s webpage! We provide you with tons of educational materials that will help you give your pet the best care possible. We also offer personalized pet insurance plans to help keep your cat protected, happy, and healthy.
