In order to keep your new furry friend safe, you’ll want to take the time to “kitten-proof” your space before bringing them home that first day. It’s equally important to have a plan for if and when things might go wrong.
Kitten Proofing Your Home
Kittens are like babies and can easily hurt themselves. When you have a look around your house, it’s important to remove or secure anything that is dangling like curtains, wires, or cords to prevent electrical, choking, or hanging hazards.
If you have a second story balcony (like we do!), you may want to think about obtaining and securing a pet gate to prevent your kitten or cat from tightrope walking on the wrong side of the banister and risking a fall. While cats usually do land on their feet, there’s still the risk of orthopedic injury from the fall.
Be sure to take time and familiarize yourself with hiding spots. Secure cupboards and drawers. Check laundry and dish washing machines before use. Close toilet seats and storage bins. Kittens and cats have a way of finding small, dark, out of the way spots to hide or nap. Remember the saying? “If I fits, I sits!”
Be aware of potential escape exits. Windows should have screens without holes, and firmly attached. Doggy doors leading to unsecured spaces (if applicable) should not be cat accessible. Doors should never be left propped open, even if you think it will just be for a brief moment. Kittens and cats are great escape artists and they will do anything to get outside if they see something that catches their eye and want to investigate.
Put up all medication, jewelry, and breakable decor. This will prevent your cherished items from being broken, and prevent your kitten or cat from being injured in the process of playing with items they mistake for toys.
Be mindful of toys with strings and stuffing which could be consumed or entangled while playing.
Do not light candles and leave them unattended, especially where a kitten or cat can jump up and swat a flame or catch their tail on fire.
Familiarize yourself with essential oils, cleaning products, and household plants that are toxic to cats. Things like lilies, poinsettias, bleach, and rodent poison immediately come to mind. Essential oils that are known to cause poisoning in cats include oil of wintergreen, oil of sweet birch, citrus oil (d- limonene), pine oils, Ylang Ylang oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, pennyroyal oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and tea tree oil.
Be sure to save the contact info for the pet poison helpline somewhere you can easily access later if needed. This is a helpful resource: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/
It’s also very important to research and know in advance where your nearest 24/7 emergency pet hospital is located, especially if your trusted vet does not have an after hours protocol or provide after hours care.
When in Doubt, Consult a Vet
If your kitten becomes sick or injured, let me caution you not to give in to the temptation to google search for answers. Or, to seek public opinion about the health and welfare of your kitten or cat. Medical related questions and concerns should always be addressed with your trusted vet.
If you’d immediately take a child to the doctor to address an illness or injury, please do the same for your pet. Don’t withhold necessary medical care simply because you’re just not sure.
Our motto is this: “When in doubt, call a vet!”
Pet Medical Insurance
Being financially prepared for a medical emergency is an important aspect of pet ownership. With this in mind, every kitten from our Cattery goes home with an offer for 30 days of no cost pet medical insurance through Trupanion. Depending on the state you live in, there may be some restrictions that apply, but we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that our future PAW-rents consider enrolling beyond the first 30 days.
Summary
Adding a new kitten or cat can be an exciting event for any family. If you’re patient with the pet proofing process, and plan in advance for unexpected medical emergencies, there’s nothing left to do but sit back, relax, and enjoy your new pet!
