Safety Proofing Your Home

Cats are very agile and can sometimes surprise you with their ability to leap to every corner of the house. There are many things in the home that have the potential to cause harm to your new cat. Here we will go through the measures you can take to make your home as safe as possible for a cat.

A black cat with beautiful green eyes stretched out across the floor

Security

A cat can easily fall out of an open window or sneak out of a door that is ajar. So a good first step to take when cat proofing your home is to secure all your windows and doors.

A ginger cat sat in front of a closed window

If your cat is going to roam in and out of the house then the only really important measure to take is to keep windows closed that aren’t on the ground floor. If you need to keep a window open then just make sure that the room is not accessible to the cat.

Plants

Cats and especially young kittens may chew on any plants in your home. Generally this won’t cause them any problems and they will grow out of the behavior, but some plants can be poisonous to cats so it is best to either keep plants out of reach, or remove them all together.

If you want to have house plants, make sure they are safe for your cat

• Amaryllis
• Autumn Crocus
• Ivy
• Lilies
• Peace Lilies
• Tulips
• Yew

If you are unsure about the toxicity of plants in your home then it is best to check with your vet.

Chemicals

Make sure household cleaning products or other potentially harmful substances are kept away from your cat.

Things that may be toxic to cats include:

• Medicine
• Pot pourri
• Paint
• Toilet cleaners
• Pesticides
• Insecticides
• Beauty products

If unsure it is best to keep everything securely away from a curious cat paw.

Cupboards

Cats are intelligent and inquisitive animals. Many will learn how to open your kitchen cupboards very quickly. We recommend taking necessary steps to secure any cupboards you don’t wish your new kitty to get into. Just a simple lock or catch will be enough to deter even the most curious of cats.

Cables

Cats and particularly young kittens can develop a habit of chewing anything that feels nice in their mouth and unfortunately this can include electrical cables. There are some ways you can prevent your cat getting a nasty electric shock and/or damaging your electricals.

A kitten chewing on an electric cable

Use cable protectors that are either physically strong enough to withstand chewing or are coated in a taste that is unpleasant to cats.

Appliances

A washing machine filled with nice soft clothes will seem like the perfect den for a cat but it could have fatal consequences if you are not vigilant with your checks.

A playful cat hiding in a washing machine

Never leave a hob on unattended and always check a tumble drier or washing machine before turning it on.

Breakables

Anything left out on the side or on shelves now has a limited lifespan. It will inevitably be knocked over and smashed, so take any necessary precautions to protect anything you are not willing to risk.