The day you get your kitten can be incredibly exciting and a little overwhelming. Kittens are incredibly curious and explorative little creatures. Kitten-proofing your home can help ensure that your kitten stays safe. Taking the time to kitten-proof your home before your kitten comes home is vital.

Benefits of Making a Home Kitten-Proof

You don’t want to have to confine your kitten to a small area. You want to be able to give your kitten free reign of your home. By kitten-proofing every room in your house you are providing your kitten with a safe space to play and live.

Kitten-proofing your home can also help give you peace of mind when it comes to the safety of your kitten. By taking the steps to kitten-proof your home you can even help avoid unnecessary and expensive trips to the veterinarian.

Kittens need mental stimulation to thrive. By giving them a large area to explore you are helping them develop normally and grow into a healthy and happy cat.

How to Kitten-Proof a Room

Much like baby-proofing a home, kitten-proofing your home will require you to think like a kitten and get down on their level. Kittens have a completely different viewpoint from you down on the ground. Don’t just consider the ground though! Kittens are excellent jumpers and climbers and will quickly explore your home vertically. Here are some great steps to take to make each room in your home kitten-proof.

1. Remove obvious hazards

Begin by looking around each room from down on the floor and from standing up. Does anything hazardous stand out to you? Are there items that may become broken if a curious kitten were to knock them over? Secure breakable items away from reach of your kitten.

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2. Dispose of small items that can be swallowed

Kittens love to put things in their mouth and will swallow items if able to. Keep your floors clean of small items such as rubber bands, hair ties, string, or ribbon.

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3. Consider the plants

Do you have plants in your home? Research each type to see if they are poisonous to cats and remove any poisonous plants from your home. To be safe, keep all other plants away from your kitten’s reach. Kittens love to chew on leaves and can become sick from the plant and can also cause damage to your plants.

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4. Store all human food

Keep all food secured and be sure to cover any food that is left out. Chocolate can be toxic to cats, so be sure to keep this in mind when storing your treats.

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5. Kitty-proof the bathroom

Keep your toilet lid closed so that the kitten does not fall in or drink the water. Be sure to remind guests to your house to also close the lid.

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6. Mind the trash

Kittens can knock over and get into trashcans. Invest in a trashcan with a lid to prevent your kitten from spreading trash across your home and to keep them away from any hazardous trash.

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7. Secure your windows

Fold and secure any window blind cords. Your kitten will be attracted to the strings if left unsecured and can become tangled in them and strangle themselves.

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8. Double-check your appliances

Always keep the doors to your washer and dryer closed. Kittens like small enclosed spaces, especially if they are warm. Double-check your washer and dryer before each use to ensure your kitten has not taken residence up inside them.

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9. Keep cleaning supplies in a safe place

Keep all cleaning supplies safely put away in a cabinet. Many cleaning supplies can be toxic to cats if ingested or inhaled. To be extra safe, consider purchasing child-proof locks to secure the cabinet doors. A small paw can easily slip behind a cabinet door and open it.

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10. Declutter your computer cables

Secure all computer or other electrical cords with a cord cover so that the kitten does not chew on or become tangled in them.

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11. Eliminate fire hazards

Keep candles and other fire hazards out of reach. A kitten can easily knock over a candle and cause a fire.

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12. Keep medications & cosmetics safely out of reach

Put away all medications and cosmetics. Kittens can find a prescription bottle a fun item to knock around, and can ingest the medication if the bottle opens. Cosmetics can also become dangerous to kittens if ingested.

Make Your Home Kitten-Friendly

Kitten-proofing your home should also include making your home kitten-friendly. You want your kitten to have adequate mental stimulation and to play with and focus on appropriate objects.

If you want to avoid having your kitten scratch up your rugs and furniture, you need to provide cat scratchers in your home and reward your kitten with treats and praise for using the cat scratchers.

You should also provide cat trees and shelves for your kitten to climb on. This will help them be able to explore your home vertically without needing to climb your shelves or countertops.

Be sure to purchase toys for your kitten to play with. Providing toys such as balls and fake mice will allow the kitten to play appropriately and entertain themselves. This will help keep them out of trouble around your home.

Alternatively, if you want to surprise your cat with something cool, check out the Hepper Hi-Lo Cat Scratcher. It's not just a scratcher; it's a piece of modern furniture that your cat can play on. It's got a curvy design that's perfect for stretching and moving, and it's built tough with strong birch plywood and thick B-flute cardboard. You can adjust it to three different heights, which keeps cats entertained. Plus, it won't break the bank! Our cats love it, and we do too.

At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

Conclusion

While kitten-proofing each room in your home, keep in mind that kittens love to play and explore. Kittens will bat around anything within reach. Climbing and pouncing are also a favorite pastime of kittens. If you are patient with your kitten-proofing, you will be happier in the long run and will help keep your kitten safe and happy.

• See Also: Best Cat-Proof Trash Cans Reviews & Top Picks

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Featured Image Credit: OlenaPalaguta, Shutterstock