Do you need to kitten proof your home before bringing home a new kitty? Absolutely! Kittens are tiny curious little toddlers with claws. LOL. Like baby proofing, kitten proofing is a must. This not only allows you to keep your kitty safe but keep things you value safe as well.
How To Kitten Proof Your Home
10 Things You Need To Do To Kitten Proof Your Home
#1 Fully kitten proof at least 1 room.
This allows you to have a safe place for your kitty to hang out when you can’t keep an eye on them. Anytime you have kittens in a room that hasn’t been kitten proofed you must keep your eyes on them.
#2 Remove or block off anything you don’t want them to climb on.
These are things like curtains, long tablecloths, or bookshelves. Cats love to climb so make sure to have a few trees or spaces that are ok for them to climb.
#3 Block access or use cat deterrents on anything you don’t want to be clawed.
These are things like couches, tables, rugs, and carpeted stairs. You can use cardboard to block off access to these items for free, but it doesn’t look pretty. You can also buy items like these to deter your kitten from clawing your stuff. Also, you need a few scratchers for your cat so it has something appropriate to scratch. You can find our favorites here.
#4 Secure your trashcans.
Cats are curious by nature, and nothing is more fun to explore than a trashcan. Place any trashcans behind closed doors or out of reach to keep your kitty safe.
#5 Kittens are tiny and love to squeeze into small places and run through open doors/windows.
When you are putting away groceries, doing laundry, or putting away clothes a kitten could get somewhere you don’t want. Block off your kitten’s access to these areas and make sure to keep your eyes on them.
#6 Secure your toilet seat lid so your kitten doesn’t fall in.
You can do this by leaving the lid down or even better keeping the door to the bathroom closed.
#7 Keep your kitten away from hot spots.
These are fireplaces, electric heaters, stoves, and dryers. It is best to keep these areas off limits for your kitten. If your kitten is in a room with a hot spot keep your eyes on it. When your kitten gets near these items redirect them away from them.
#8 Use animal-safe pest control.
Ask your pest control people if their product is pet safe and what the precautions are. We do not let our kitties go near any area with pet-safe pest control for at least 2 hours to be safe.
#9 Kittens put everything in their mouths.
Just like babies, there are some items you want to look out for and remove from anywhere your kitten will be. This includes items like: stray rubber bands, ribbon, twine, strings, twist ties, hair ties, plastic bags, sewing supplies, toys with small parts, small board game pieces, erasers, house plants, and floral arrangements that are poisonous to cats. This is not a complete list you may have other items in your home. Also, be very careful when your kitty is around your food, drinks, cleaning supplies, and medicine.
#10 Window blinds and electrical cords look super fun for a kitty to play with but can be deadly for your kitten.
Secure blind cords out of your kitten’s reach with a rubber band. Cover or hide electric cords with fire-safe covers. These are the 2 I recommend. Click on the image for more info.
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Caution: Wrapping electric cords can be a fire hazard, only use items that are for cords.
A Few Extra Tips For Kitten Proofing Your Home
Be willing to adapt.
You are smarter than a kitten. LOL. When your kitten figures out or moves a barrier you have put up, try another way to block it off. For some kittens, aluminum foil works; others it doesn’t. We use cardboard and packaging tape rolled with the sticky side out. I have also used saran wrap on bookshelves to keep them blocked off. When all else fails pack things away in a box or closet.
Toys! Toys! Toys!
Kittens that are bored get in trouble. Make sure you have a variety of toys to keep your kittens entertained. You can check out our favorites here.
For those times when your kitten is doing something you don’t want them to do, redirect in a calm loving manner.
For example, when our kitty gets on the table, we pick it up and say down and put it down. We then give it a toy to play with or place it somewhere it can climb.
Now that you know how to kitten proof your home check out our kitten supply checklist. A full list that goes over everything your new kitten needs!
Let me know what you think! I love to hear from you.
What have you done to kitten proof your home? Drop your tips below.
