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[SusanG]

Cat and Kitten Proofing your Home

Kittens are boundless explorers, meaning anything they can get to is fair game.

Nothing beats a kitten for fun. But the feline “wonder years” can also be the most frustrating and dangerous time in your kitten’s life. Don’t let Kitty’s innocent face fool you. Behind those twinkling bright eyes is a mind brimful of curiosity, and the boundless energy to try and satisfy it. Kittens have a way of turning the most innocuous situation into a disaster. Whether you survive with your sanity intact-and whether your kitten survives at all-can depend on your kitten-proofing your home.

Kitten-proofing is done to make the house so that Kitty doesn’t hurt himself. It also prevents him from laying waste to your house so that you don’t yearn to retaliate.

First, try to think like a cat. Jumping and climbing, kittens rarely stop at floor level, so you will need to kitten- proof the heights.

Despite evidence to the contrary, kittens do not have hands. Instead, they use patting paws to explore their world, and they stick their tiny noses into everything. Anything left within reach is fair game, so place anything breakable out of feline range. The more intelligent the kitten, the more ways he’ll find to get into trouble!










SECURING CORDS

Kittens don’t tend to chew as much as puppies, but they do play-attack and bite nearly everything. Electric cords can be particularly tempting, and bitten cords can result in severe burns or even death. Get rid of as many electrical cords as possible, and check remaining wires regularly for signs of chewing. Cords can be covered easily and cheaply with automotive vacuum hose or clear or colored neoprene fuel line available in various diameters and purchased by the foot at most automotive supply stores. For large groups of wires you can use clothes-drier exhaust hosing (Home Depot or Lowes) which is sold in many different diameters, or even garden hose! Cut a slit down the length of the tubing with a utility knife and simply slip the tubing over the cords – no need to disconnect or unplug the cords. Larger diameter hose of rubbing can be used to combine several cords. Cords can also be taped to the floor to keep them from moving (and reduce Kitty’s temptation to bat and bite them).

TRASH AND OTHER ITEMS

Keep garbage away from your kitten. Although cats are generally more fastidious than their canine counterparts, the smell of scraps may tempt Kitty to scrounge. Eating potato eyes or contaminated, spoiled food might poison your kitten, or she might end up with an upset stomach that results in a predictable mess. One of the most serious, and life-threatening dangers are small bones that can splinter or lodge in or perforate the esophagus or intestines requiring surgical removal. Securely fasten lids on trash containers, or store them under the sink or in the garage where Kitty can’t reach them. Beware leaving sharp knives, food processor blades or other utensils out on counters where Kitty might try to lick them clean and possibly cut her tongue.

MOTHBALLS

The fumes from mothballs can destroy a Kitty’s liver cells. It is best to use another form of moth repellent (such as cedar) to protect your cloths.









TOXIC HOUSEPLANTS

Protect your kitten from houseplants… and vice versa. To a kitten, a large floor plant is an exotic jungle gym to scale, while a pot of soil is an invitation to furry excavators.

Chewing house plants like dieffenbachia, philodendron, pathos and English ivy can cause toxic reactions. Kitty may even lick off the poison when he grooms his claws after shredding the plant. Keep plants out of your kitten’s reach by hanging them or placing them on shelves. Choose nontoxic plants like the jade plant, the prayer plant, the begonia, donkey tail, coleus or piggyback.

TINFOIL, CORK, RUBBER BANDS, PAPER CLIPS

Kitty loves playing with these items, but if they chew on them, the broken pieces can be swallowed and cause choking or block intestines.
Like children, kittens have a tendency to swallow small nonfood items like coins, pins, erasers and paper clips. Anything left out is fair game for the cat. Strings and threads (sometimes with the needle attached) are especially appealing to cats.

Do not allow your Kitty to play with these items unsupervised and be sure to put them securely away after play is done.

TOYS & STRINGS

Carefully inspect cat toys, and remove small eyes or tails that come loose and may be swallowed. Just because a toy is made for a cat doesn’t mean it is safe. Put away sewing baskets and tackle boxes. Kittens love to play with thread, string and yarn, but unsupervised games can lead to accidental strangulation, swallowed needles, cuts from fishing line or embedded fish hooks. Cats can swallow several yards of ribbon or string, which may require surgical removal. Tie up curtain or blind cords out of kitten reach, or purchase breakaway cords. The standard double cords on window blinds can hang and strangle a kitten.

Swallowed string, thread and even pieces of pantyhose can badly “pleat” and block the intestines and actually cut through the intestinal wall leading to the very serious life-threatening condition of peritonitis.




MEDICINES

Keep all medicines and vitamins away form the reach of your Kitty. Like children, they are naturally curious and can swallow pills or liquids that can be fatal.

Carefully cap all medications and put them away. Pills are fun to bat around the floor, but if swallowed can be poisonous. Aspirin, Tylenol and Ibuprofen are deadly to cats as are most human medications. Consult your vet if your feline appears ill.

DECORATION DISASTERS

Christmas is an enchanting yet dangerous time of year for kittens. The tree seems meant for climbing, and the blinking lights and swinging ornaments tempt the most stoic kitty to indulge. But broken ornaments, extra electric cords, metal hooks or tinsel, sprayed lead-base “snow” and tree needles all pose dangers. Avoid placing decorations on the bottom branches and cover the water pot at the base of the tree to prevent Kitty from drinking the water. (especially if you add chemicals to make your tree last longer inside)

TOILET SEATS

Your Kitty may not always look before she leaps, so keep the toilet lids down at all times. A cat who unknowingly lands in the toilet could be injured, and it is possible for a kitten to drown in an open toilet.

HIDING PLACES

Kittens and adult cats delight in cubbyholes in which to hide & sleep. Always check cupboards, cabinets, closets and dresser drawers before shutting them, to be sure your kitten isn’t hiding inside. Keep appliances closed. Kitty may think he’s found the perfect warm hidey-hole to sleep until the appliance is turned on. It may sound funny at first, but kittens die every day by being accidentally shut inside a dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer or stove. Some cats have a fascination for refrigerators! Always check before closing the door.






PLASTIC BAGS & BAGS WITH HANDLES

Cats love to play with plastic bags and paper grocery bags, but they can be hazardous. They can get their heads caught in the handles and choke themselves. If you allow your Kitty to play with a bag with handles, be sure to cut the handles so their heads cannot get caught in them. (most everyone with a cat has experienced seeing their frightened cat run through the house with a plastic bag caught around her neck.)

Some cats love to chew on the plastic and this can lead to swallowing and choking. Don’t allow you Kitty to play with bags unsupervised.

HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS

Cats, just like children, love to go exploring under sinks and in cabinets, but this can be harmful- even fatal if they are exposed to the common household chemicals we keep under our sinks. Use a baby lock if you are going to keep your cleaning supplies in which your Kitty has access, otherwise move them to a safer location, well out of reach of you Kitty.

It is also important that you keep your Kitty away from areas in which you’ve just used a household chemical, such as freshly polished furniture or waxed floors. Your Kitty may get the polish or wax on her feet, then accidentally ingest it while grooming herself.

Also, do not set out rodent or insect poisons where your Kitty has access to them, and if you call an exterminator, be sure they use chemicals that are not harmful to animals.

UNSTABLE FURNITURE

Cats love to climb on high furniture, but his can be harmful if furniture is not stable. It is amazing the power a nine pound feline has, especially if she’s having a “mad moment.” Jumping on or off unstable furniture—like a tall bookshelf, for example—can cause it to fall over, possibly injuring your cat. Unstable furniture should be securely attached to the wall.




FIRE

Fire will cause either fear or fascination in your Kitty and patting paws will get burned if he tries to catch the flame. Cats like warm places to sleep but may get singed when allowed unsupervised access to hot stove burners, irons, or lit fireplaces.

Stickers from your local Fire Department are available at not cost to you to post in your window, alerting them as to how many cats you have in your household to rescue in the event of a fire.

YOUR OWN TWO FEET

Cats have a tendency to get underfoot and some like to sleep right in the middle of a busy walk way. When you have a cat or kitten in your house, it is best to make it a habit to always look where you are stepping—especially when you are stepping backwards. While most injuries are not serious, it is possible to break a cat’s bone, and a fragile kitten could be seriously hurt if stepped on.

Protect your sanity, and your new kitten’s life by disposing of things that can harm your Kitty. Then sit back, relax and treasure the antics of the furry wonder that now shares your life. Kittenhood doesn’t last forever, but cat & kitten proofing your home will ensure that the memories you make today will be happy ones. And happy Kitty memories are oh-so sweet, sweet enough to last a lifetime!