Most people are more than familiar with the importance of child-proofing your home. However, most forget that a cat, especially a kitten, can get into just as much frisky mischief as a child.
Whether you are a new cat owner or a seasoned one, it is never to early or late to make your home as safe for your cat as possible. Best of all, cat proofing your home will take no time at all with these easy tips!
Guide to Cat Proofing Your Home
Look at your home as your cat would see it. Take 5-10 minutes and lay stomach down on your floor. You will be able to get a better idea of what your cat sees this way. Then, take the time to look about and pay special attention to anything hanging, dangling, cracked, pointy, etc. You will be surprised at what you may find when you do.
Give your home a quick once over. This includes paying special attention to anything lying about that your cat could have access to, but shouldn’t. This includes fallen materials, garbage, chemicals, electrical cords. You may think they would never appeal to your cat, but accidents happen. Keeping unsafe products out of kitty’s reach guarantees a safer home for you both!
Maintain cat toys. Cat toys are fabulous. They offer engagement, playtime, activity, etc. However, they also don’t last forever. Cat toys usually experience wear and tear pretty quickly. You want to make sure seams are intact and that anything attached, such as balls, bells, strings, is still intact. At the first sign of chipping, breaking, tearing, or defects, dispose of the cat toy.
Remember that kitty can’t pull stuff out of his mouth and this normally means ingesting it instead. Swallowing anything besides their cat food or water can lead to blockages or even death. Don’t take chances when it comes to your cat’s safety.
Maintain cat furniture. Cats love to climb and scratch. This means that the carpeting and materials on their furniture start to pull, sag, rip, or tear. Exposed nails, staples and glue also become obvious and accessible. Checking kitty’s furniture weekly to make sure it is well intact is a must. Repairing cat furniture isn’t difficult. With new carpeting pieces, a staple gun and a little time, you can have the furniture looking brand new!
Check your blinds/curtains. If there is a string, a cat will play with it. If you have blinds or curtains with dangling strings keep them out of kitty’s reach. This does not mean tying them together because they could act as a noose should your cat accidentally get entangled in them.
Instead, keep the strings separate and cut them to a length that keeps them up. You can also buy hardware that you can attach to the wall that allows the strings to be corded safely, etc. There are tons of options out there so find one that works best for you and your cat.
Install a Door Buddy latch. There’s no denying it – cats love their space, especially if they’re still adjusting to your home. If you’re bringing a new kitten home, installing a Door Buddy door latch can help them feel safe by creating their own space. Remember, kitties love to play but they can also feel overwhelmed and stressed in times of change. Designating an area in your home for their kitty litter and cat food will help them feel more comfortable with their surroundings.
An added bonus of using the Door Buddy latch is that you can give your kitten their privacy from dogs, little ones, and even bigger cats in the home as they get comfortable. All you have to do is adjust the strap to suit your kitty’s width, stick on the adhesives to your door and door frame, and put the lock in place. It’s that easy! No tools or heavy renovations needed with this cat proofing item and it’s available on Amazon too.
Looking For More Content to Enjoy?!
5 DIY Cat Bath Hacks – These 5 tips will have you bathing kitty like a professional in no time!
10 Warning Signs Your Cat May Be Sick – These are 10 warning signs to look for if your cat isn’t feeling well!
Debbie W says
I’ve had many cats over the years and with that different personalities. These tips are accurate. Thank you
Kristen says
Thank you Debbie! I love cats and making it a point to share some useful knowledge..
heidi c. says
This is a great list for anyone adopting a cat. Some of these things I had to learn the hard way :).
Kristen says
Sometimes the hard way is the only way we can really learn…been there myself many a time!
MyBitsandBleeps says
all great points
Kristen says
Thank you Jeannine!!!! I know Jake would approve..hehe
Monica Parlee says
Great article and awesome tips. We need to remember to protect our innocent little kitties!
Kristen says
Absolutely Monica!
Amy Lovell says
Thanks these are all great tips!
Kristen says
Thanks Amy!
kathy downey says
thanks for all the tips,and this has to be the cutest little cat
Kristen says
Aww…thank you Kathy. That is my Jasper and I have to say he is SUCH a kitty gentleman. I am head over heels with him..he is such a sweetheart and a snuggle bug!
kathy downey says
He sure is a handsome gentleman,my little Turbo is a snugger also !
Judy C (Judy Cowan) says
These are all great tips. I find that the cat proofing is an ongoing thing, I think I have everything covered and they prove me wrong!
Kristen says
Absolutely!
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
some good tips here for cat lovers. My son has a cat and he’s always up to mischief.
Torsten says
Brilliant – I’m bookmarking this for Selina@MightyTravels – the crazy cat lady!!
Some great tips 🙂
June S. says
(Cat Proofing Your Home) We have done this for years with our cats. We have three of them all adopted, Ibanez, Ozzy, and Buddy. And the three of them are a handful too.
Kristen says
I bet they are absolutely adorable too!!!!!!!
kathy downey says
you can never OVER cat proof you home,they always seem to find something new to get into.Got to love them.
Kristen says
You are so right Kathy!
June S. says
We have three cats, all adopted and spoiled rotten too. Ibenez, Ozzy, and Buddy. We have a lot of fun with them!
Bailey Dexter says
What a beautiful kitten! thanks for the tips.I will keep them in mind getting another soon it’s been a while since I had a kitten!
kathy downey says
Even when you think you are cat proof,they surprise you by doing something silly like hiding your socks
April Farley says
Very smart ideas and viewpoints. You are right on the money when you said to get down on a cats level and check things out. It gives you a whole new perspective.
Anna W says
We are considering getting a cat soon and I never knew you had to cat proof a house. These are great tips. Looks like I have lots of reading to do!
loucheryl says
I have always had cats and LOVE them to bits. In fact, there is one sitting next to me right now! His name is Gizmo. LOL! Love this post.
Kristen says
Love that name!!!!
Lee-Ann says
And no matter what we have done to cat proof our home – our little fur balls have decided it’s theirs to do as they wish!
Mark Cook says
metal window screens instead of vinyl is a must lol.
Wanda Tracey says
I adopted a cat from the pound and I love her to pieces.Thanks for the great tips for protecting our pets.
Kristen says
That is seriously fabulous Wanda. Thank you for saving a life and giving her a forever home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
there are some beautiful photos of cats in the Cats section, are they all yours? There are some great tips here for cat-proofing a home. My son has a cat but I’m more of a dog person.
🙂
Kristen says
Yep!!!! I love taking photos of my many cats!!! Thank you!
Joely Smith says
Great tips! I especially agree about cat toys. They do not last forever and many collect germs which are not good for our cats. Also having dedicated cat furniture and towers for them to freely scratch up.
Kelly says
Wonderful tips for helping protect our homes and our precious kitties! One of my cats has a fetish for shoelaces and we have to be so careful that she doesn’t digest them.
Mishu says
Those are great tips, and I want the towel!!!
Clare Reece-Glore says
Good tips and even though I am a dog trainer I love to help my clients have their dogs and cats live together successfully.
Shelby Gottschalk says
Cats get into EVERYTHING! I think it’s so important that before you bring a cat (or dog) into your life, you make sure it’s safe and that they can’t get into something that would hurt them. The advice about toys was great too! 🙂
Allison says
Great tips! Once a week, even though my cats are now grown, I check on the condition of their furniture and toys. I also on a daily basis make sure that their wand toys are safely tucked away in a closet and that no cat is behind a closed door before I leave for work. Cat proofing one’s house is important to their safety.
Sweet Purrfections says
I remember going through all of this when Truffle came to live with me. I forgot about all of the small places a kitten could get into. What surprised me was the need to hide cords because my previous cats never bothered them.
Marjorie at Dash Kitten says
Cats need to be watched in a new home!
Great tips for the newbie cat owner, thank you.
Kate says
I love the reminder about curtains and curtain strings. I feel like those are always the first things that my foster kittens try to climb up and bat around. Thanks for the article!
Kia says
Awesome tips! You’re right, a lot of people don’t think about pet proofing their home. I’m sure a lot of people will find this so helpful!
Kamira Gayle says
Good tips…another one PLANTS! I remember when I had my little ones, they both would be so inquisitive about gnawing on plants. So no plants in my house. I have artificial ones. I know a few are safe but I was a bit paranoid as a cat mom and wanted to play it safe. Good tip about maintaining toys. I remember a couple times catching both my girls chewing on a long string continuously almost to the point of choking/gagging. Thank goodness I kept a close eye on them and caught them.
Cathy Armato says
This is a great reminder. My sister’s cat actually got electrocuted when he started chewing on a loose wire! He survived but it was pretty horrible.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
My daughter once had a kitten, a playful little thing. Suddenly she became ill, stopped eating etc. Off to the vet we went, we very nearly lost her. An operation later it turned out that she’d eaten a Barbie shoe that had got stuck in her intestines! So please check that kids do clear up all their toys from the floor.
Carole D says
Some good tip for cat owners. Some cat like to eat plant and some are poisonous!
kathy downey says
We have to be so careful with plastic bags in our home as our silly kitty loves getting into them,but they can certainly be dangerous.
lori galbraith says
Great tips, I think having cat toys and scratch poles are so important.
Calvin F. says
My poor blinds/curtains.. very hard to fix at this point.
kathy downey says
Kittens are like kids they put everything in their mouth and as with kids it can be dangerous!
Linda H says
Great tips for someone just getting a cat. We have never had any problems other than a bit of scratched up furniture!