Bringing home a new kitten is exciting, but before your new pet comes home, you need to make sure that the environment is safe for them. Cats are very curious, and they can get themselves into a lot of trouble. Here are three tips for kitten-proofing your home.
Hide your knitting materials
Kittens love to play with balls of yarn, so you may not think it's dangerous to let them dive into your knitting bag. However, yarn is actually a dangerous toy. Cats have barbs on their tongues that make it impossible for them to spit out objects that get stuck to their tongues, so if any yarn gets stuck, your kitten will have no choice but to swallow it. This can lead to choking, and if they manage to swallow it, the yarn can create a blockage in their digestive system.
The other contents of your knitting bag are also hazards for your new friend. Knitting needles are sharp and could injure your cat, while small objects like stitch markers or row counters could become food for a curious kitten. It's best to hide all of your knitting materials before your kitten arrives.
Block your stairs
Once your kitten gets older, they'll be able to travel up and down your stairs with no problems, but when they're very small, the stairs are a hazard. Your curious kitten could fall down the stairs and injure themselves. To protect your new friend, block your stairs with pet gates.
Look for a cat fence gate that doesn't have large gaps between the bars. You don't want your kitten to get their head stuck, so the bars should be close enough together to keep this from happening. Once your kitten gets older and less clumsy, you can remove the gates.
Cover your garbage
Your kitchen garbage can is very appealing to cats, but it's also full of dangerous objects. Kitchen garbages can contain chicken bones, spoiled food, chemicals, and other hazards that your kitten shouldn't be eating. However, they don't know that these things can hurt them, so it's your job to make sure they can't get into the garbage.
One option is to choose a kitchen garbage can that has a locking lid. You can also store your garbage can underneath your sink and lock the cabinet door.
Before your new kitten comes home, take steps to make your home safer for them.
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