Simple Ways to Keep Your New Kitten Out of Trouble
If you are getting ready to take a kitten under your wing, there are a few things you can and should do to keep your little one out of trouble. Taking the precautions you are about to read about will not only help provide your kitten with a safe environment, they may also save you from a heartbreak and expensive veterinary charges. A kitten can be as mischievous as child, and if it’s yours, it’s your responsibility to make sure it stays out of harms way. The steps you need to take are as follows.
Hide Your Valuables
Although the suggestion to hide your valuables may sound as if kittens are thieves, this is not the case. Yes, you may find that the diamond studded earrings you left on your night table mysteriously disappeared the day after your new kitten took residence in your home, but that’s to be expected since kittens are fascinated by shiny objects they consider to be toys. A pair of small earrings in the paws of a kitten may never be part of your jewelry collection again, and if your kitten swallows the earrings, you have a real problem. Other valuables you should hide from your new kitten are items that can break if your kitten knocks them over.
Hide Toxic Cleansers, Medications and Pills
Store products that you use to clean your home in a place where your kitten can’t get to them. Should your kitten knock over a bottle that contains a toxic chemical, the consequences could be disastrous. After stepping in the poisonous liquid, your kitten may lick its paws in an attempt to clean them. Cats are clean souls by nature, but their cleanliness can sometimes do them more harm than good. Keep all medication locked away from your kitten as well, especially pills a playful kitten may want to swat around and eat. If you need to dispose of any toxic substances, remember not to put them in a trash can your kitten can gain access to.
Keep Your Doors and Windows Closed
Making sure your doors and windows are closed and your screens have no holes your kitten can fit through is an effective way to keep your new kitten in the house where it is safe from the dangers of the outside world. Taking this simple precaution is well worth the effort since it may save your kitten from getting lost or hit by a moving vehicle. Closing your bathroom door will keep your kitten out of the toilet bowl, but if you’d prefer to leave your bathroom door open, keep the lid on your toilet down. Before closing any doors, make sure you know where your new kitten is. Cats are very good at hiding in closets and dangerous places like refrigerators, washers and dryers. It’s also a good idea to keep small spaces a kitten can wiggle into blocked off since you may not be able to easily get your kitten out of them.
Hang Your Plants From the Ceiling
Though you may love the idea of having a houseful of decorative plants, it is important that you know there are a number of plants that can kill a kitten, or make a kitten sick. Some of the more common plants to watch out for are the jasmine plant and the philodendron. The poinsettia is another one, so if you receive this plant as a holiday gift, thank the giver and explain that you cannot accept it because it is a plant that is toxic to cats. Since the list of plants that are harmful to cats is long, it’s best you hang all your plants where your kitten will never be able to reach them.
Other Ways to Keep Your New Kitten Out of Trouble
Always keep attractively wrapped gifts tied with ribbon out of your kitten’s reach. Kittens love to chew on string, but if your kitten ingests it, you may find yourself rushing your cat off to a 24-hour veterinarian’s office. Another way to keep your new kitten out of trouble is to hang glass Christmas ornaments high up on your tree, if you decorate one, so your kitten doesn’t play with them and knock them off. Slivers of broken glass can cut your kitten’s paws. Other items that may harm your kitten if ingested include pins and rubber bands, so keep these items out of your kitten’s reach as well. Unplug electrical cords from outlets when you know you won’t be around to make sure your kitten doesn’t chew on them and suffer electrocution. Remember, anything harmful to a small child should be considered harmful to a kitten, so keep this in mind as you strive to protect your new young family member.
Sources:
Before You Buy That Kitten, by Phil Maggitti
The Book of the Cat, Edited by Michael Wright and Sally Walters