How to Keep Inquisitive Kittens Safe Around the Home and Garden

Keeping a kitten or young cat safe around the home and in the garden takes a bit of planning. Cats are very inquisitive by nature and can often get themselves in a spot of bother when they are young and still learning the ropes. If you are new to keeping cats, it can be quite scary when your pet gets stuck up a tree or you find them with a torn claw and are not sure how to deal with the situation.

The good news is there are ways to avoid certain things from happening which you can easily do by making sure your kittens environment is as safe as possible for them to explore. It's also a very good idea to get your new feline friend insured just in case they do end up injuring themselves and need to be taken to the vet for treatment.

Make Sure Your Kitten Can't Get into Cupboards

Kittens are very clever little creatures and they soon learn how to open up kitchen cupboards. If there are any toxic cleaning products stored in the cupboard, it could prove very harmful if kitty manages to knock any over and ends up with some of the product on their paws or bodies.

Naturally, all cats like being clean, which means kitty is likely to lick the product off and in the process they would ingest the poison. The best solution is to fit some child locks on the kitchen cabinet doors to prevent your little feline friend from getting into them. The same goes for bathroom cupboards where you may store other cleaning products as well as lotions and potions normally found in a bathroom.

Make Sure You Always Shut the Doors of Appliances

Everyone has a washing machine, dryer, dish washer and other appliances in kitchens and/or utility rooms which a little kitten could crawl into and you may not even realise they are in there. It's really important to close all doors on appliances to prevent this from happening.

This includes oven doors, microwaves and any other appliance that a kitten might think is a lovely, safe and cosy place to snooze have a little in. Even fridge and freezer doors need to be kept firmly shut when there is a kitten about just in case they sneak in there when you are not looking and then you close the door on them!

Watch Out for Curtains and Window Blinds

It goes without saying that kittens love clambering up things and they always seem to find both curtains and window blinds quite irresistible. However, although it can be great fun watching a kitten zoom up the curtains, there are a few dangers to watch out for because window blinds and curtains often have cords which your pet could end up getting caught up on.

You have to tie up or remove all cords on blinds and curtains so that when your kitten does decide to run up them, they won't end up injuring themselves which could well prove fatal if nobody is at home to rescue them when they do.

Make Sure No Furniture Can Tip Over

Kittens and young cats are very capable at jumping up quite high which means they are likely to leap onto your furniture. You have to make sure it won't tip over when they do and end up falling on your little feline companion, crushing them in the process. This includes dressers and bookcases which all need to be well secured to the wall.

Making Sure the Garden is Safe

If you have a garden and intend on letting your kitten out into it so they can explore the great outdoors, the area has to be as safe as possible for them to play in. You need to make sure you only use animal friendly slug pellets and other garden products and you need to put all garden tools safely out of harm's way.

When you first let kitty out into the garden, it is far better to stay with them when they are exploring the area and to always leave a door open so that if anything scares them, they can run back into the safety of the house. It's only when your kitten is more confident and a little older that you should let them out on their own.

However, you should never lock a young or adult cat out of the house because the weather can turn nasty very quickly and it would not be fair to leave them out when it does. Your kitty needs to be able to get back into the house when they want or need to so they are safe and warm. Fitting a cat-flap is essential and these days there are some very good designs on the market.

Conclusion

Keeping an inquisitive and very busy kitten safe takes a bit of planning and thought. Just like children, your little feline companion will be into everything which can sometimes land them in a bit of trouble or worse still, injured. By making sure cupboards are fitted with child locks, kitty won't be able to get into them and accidentally knock over a toxic product which could prove fatal if they then lick it off when cleaning themselves. You need to spend a little time making sure curtain ties are secured away and that furniture won't tip over should your kitten jump up them. Lastly, it's always a good idea to have your kitten insured so that if anything does happen, you are covered for the vet's bill.