Kitten-Proofing Your Home

 Kittens are like human babies: They'll get into all kinds of trouble when you're not looking. You'll need to make sure your home is safe for a new kitten to explore. It's a lot like baby-proofing your house. Let's go over some of the potential dangers:

* Houseplants: Some plants are poisonous and could make your kitten seriously ill. Certain toxic plants could even kill her. Examples of toxic plants include lily-of-the-valley, hydrangea, rhododendron, poinsettia, and English ivy. Remember, kittens like to chew, and they won't discriminate one plant from another. Keep plants in a room where your kitten won't be allowed, or put them outside.

* Toilet: This might sound strange, but very young kittens have been known to explore toilets, get stuck, and drown. To prevent tragedies like this, keep the toilet seat down.

* Stuff on the floor: A kitten would be delighted to chew on rubber bands, twist-ties, string, etc. All of these can cause blockages and do terrible things to her insides. In general, try not to leave anything around that your kitten could swallow or partially eat.

* Wires: Kittens can strangle themselves on cords and long wires. Make sure corns are either out of reach or secured. Tuck the wires away, or make them less tempting toys by taping them down to the floor.

* Chemicals: Keep all cleaning solutions and toxic chemicals completely out of reach. In particular, kittens and other animals are drawn to antifreeze, which tastes sweet but is deadly.

* Fragile items: If you have a lot of delicates and breakables, you'll want to protect them. A beautiful glass figurine on a low coffee table is asking for disaster. Instead, put these breakables somewhere out of reach. Display them in a glass cabinet where your cat can't reach them.

* Reclining chairs: Cats and reclining chairs don't mix. Kittens have been known to climb up and inside these devices, where they either suffocate to death or are killed when a human sits down in it. If you have a recliner chair, always be on your guard! Even if you're careful, accidents can happen: Someone might knock on the door, or the dog might knock over something, and you might swiftly rise without checking to make sure the kitten isn't in the way.

* Washer/dryer: Your kitten will no doubt be tempted to explore an open dryer at some point. Don't leave an open dryer unattended, and always check for your kitten before closing the door.

* Candles: A kitten can easily start a fire by knocking over a lit candle. It should go without saying that burning candles should never be left unattended. As an added precaution, keep the candles in a place where your kitten can't easily reach them.

* Needles: Your kitten might think pins, needles, and toothpicks are fun toys to play with, but they are deadly when swallowed.

* Plastic bags: Plastic grocery bags delight cats of all ages, but you should not let your cat play with them unattended. A kitten could get entangled in the plastic bag and suffocate. A cat will commonly get one of the handles caught around her head and start running around the house to try and dislodge it. Cats have also been known to eat plastic bags.

* Tiny spaces: Check your home for tiny spaces where a kitten will be tempted to crawl and hide. If a kitten squeezes her way into one of these spaces, it may be all but impossible to get her out. Some kittens overestimate their abilities and can't get out of their small hiding place.

* String: Although strings, yarns, and ribbons make for great cat toys, you should only let your cat play with them when you're around to supervise. Kittens and cats alike will often swallow these things, which can block your cat's intestines. Note: If you ever see a string dangling from your kitten's anus, DON'T PULL IT! Get your kitten to a vet at once. Pulling on the string could damage her insides.

About the Author

Catherine L. Conway doesn't like cats--she adores them! She has written several articles about caring for cats and also has some websites dedicated to them.