9 Tips For Cat-Proofing Your Home
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Cats are curious. They will search open cabinets, squeeze behind furniture and get tangled in curtains.
They may have nine lives, but they can still damage your home or hurt themselves. Cat-proofing keeps your cat safe and your belongings in one piece.
Tips For Cat-Proofing Your Home
1. Hide Fragile Objects
That glass vase you picked up at a vintage market? A curious cat could easily knock it over.
Hide fragile objects until you see how your cat behaves and which places it can reach.
Store precious ornaments in cabinets, or use museum putty to keep them in place.
Quakehold museum putty is a removable putty that holds ornaments and small decorations to a shelf. Christmas trees are the same problem on a bigger scale. A foldable exercise pen such as the Amazon Basics 30-inch metal exercise pen can be set up around the base of a tree to keep cats off the lower branches, although a cat that can clear 30 inches will still jump it.
2. Protect Electric Cables
Cats love to chew strings and cables. Keep cables tidy and hidden, for the cat’s sake and your TV’s.
Cover any exposed cables or fix them to surfaces so they are less tempting.
Split cable sleeves such as the Alex Tech split wire loom tubing wrap around a cord and close on themselves. The listing says it is meant to keep cats from chewing cables.
More on cat-proofing your electric cables.
3. Check For Poisonous Plants
Many common house plants are toxic to cats, including Lilies, Tulips and Chrysanthemums.
You could swap real plants for plastic ones.
Before bringing a cat into your home you should check all plants to make sure they are safe, because cats love to chew them.
4. Secure Unstable Furniture
Cats climb and jump on furniture.
Anything unstable or top-heavy could fall on a cat that tries to climb it.
That means TVs, bookshelves, mirrors and anything else that isn’t secured.
The Safety 1st TV and furniture safety straps come as a 2-pack with screws and can fix a TV or a piece of furniture to the wall.
5. Lock Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets
Cleaning products and many foods are toxic to cats.
Keep them out of sight and smell, in cabinets a curious cat can’t easily open.
Stash cleaners, chemicals and trash behind closed doors, and consider child-proof locks on cabinets and pantry doors.
The SKYLA HOMES cabinet strap locks are adjustable 3 to 7 inch straps that stick on with adhesive, so there is no drilling.
6. Secure Windows and Doors
An indoor cat can slip out through windows and doors left open for fresh air. Screens let air and light in but keep the cat inside.
Even with an outdoor cat, screens stop other cats and animals getting in.
7. Block Balconies or Gardens
A balcony is a risk, because a cat can fall a long way.
If you want your cat to explore outside but stay in your garden, fill any gaps in the fences.
If you have a pond, keep your cat away from it, to protect the fish and the cat. Here are tips for keeping cats away from ponds.
8. Cover Waste Bins
Cats that get into bins can eat human food or other toxic items that have been thrown away.
Use a bin with a secure, fastening lid.
9. Close Washers, Dryers and Dishwashers
Getting shut in a washer or dryer is one of the most common household dangers for cats.
Check that your cat isn’t asleep inside before you load it or switch it on.
Bonus: Get a Scratch Post
Cats scratch by instinct, to sharpen their claws, mark with scent and relieve stress.
If they don’t have something made to scratch they will use your furniture or walls.
A cheap scratch post prevents damage and is good for your cat’s wellbeing.
You could even make a DIY scratch post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Give them proper scratching surfaces, keep fragile items out of reach, use deterrents on furniture, and make sure they get enough mental and physical stimulation.
Secure cords and cables, remove toxic plants, store hazardous materials safely, secure breakable items, add vertical spaces for climbing, and keep small objects out of reach.
Offer a comfortable alternative sleeping spot, trim their nails regularly and use washable or protective covers. A barrier or gate is an option if you want one.
Check that plants are non-toxic, install secure fencing or barriers, avoid toxic chemicals, and fix any gaps or holes in the boundaries.
Ultrasonic deterrents, motion-activated sprinklers, scent deterrents, physical barriers, secure entrances, and noise distractions can deter cats.
Some, such as scratched furniture, knocked-over objects, accidents outside the litter box or the odd chewed item. Training, proper outlets for their behavior and supervision keep it to a minimum.