Kitten Proofing
If you are considering adopting or
obtaining a new kitten there are some things
you had better consider. First, kittens are bundles of energy and you will
need
to channel it into the proper direction. Secondly, you will have to
prepare your
home for the new addition! This article will give you some insight on what
could
be hazardous to your new pet in your house.
Kittens, just like any other type of baby, will get into anything and
everything!
This happens in only a brief moment of time when you least expect it or
when
your back is turned. Part of the development of any small child or animal
is to
explore. They do this through climbing, crawling, jumping, mouthing,
pawing,
and other creative ways!
Kitten proofing is preventing accidents through preventative measures or
increased
awareness and supervision. If you know what types of things to
be careful about,
that is half the battle. Be sure to provide the proper toys and lots of
concentrated
activity to wear your pet out and keep it out of trouble!
Kittens will make toys out of just about anything. The best efforts you
can make
are to provide the proper toys and to supervise the play to make sure that
the kit
doesn’t ingest any foreign objects. Ping pong balls, hard vinyl or
plastic balls with
a bell in them, fake mice, and a variety of other toys will be good to
start off with.
Paper bags left open on the floor, boxes, and milk jug tabs are a few of
the best
homemade toys!
Care should be taken to
supervise play with long string, plastic milk tops, and
other objects such as aluminum foil balls. You want to make sure that
your
kitten does not decide to make a meal of the wrong toy, and doesn’t
get
tangled and panic in the twine. Around the household, there are a
number
of items that could pose risk to your new naive pet. You should be alert
to
these and take some precautions if necessary to avoid trouble for your
little
explorer.
Remember that to avoid problem
behavior, you must provide quality attention and
concentrated activity daily. Redirecting improper behavior toward
acceptable play
and toys is the best strategy to include for success. For young animals
several
short intense sessions a day should wear them out and keep them out of
trouble!
Here is a list to flag your attention toward some of the potential problem
items.
SHINY OBJECTS
Since foil ball toys may suddenly become an edible temptation, they
should only
be offered as a toy only when you can monitor the interaction and prevent
them
for being eaten! Lamp crystals, and Christmas tree decorations, such as
bulbs
and tinsel, are other enticing and dangerous objects. Hanging mobiles,
chimes
and other objects may be too attractive for your pet to resist. Make sure
that
they are either unreachable or that some barrier or confinement is
possible to
avoid disaster when you are not around.
ELECTRICAL CORDS
This is a very big potential risk to most small pets. Mouthing and
chewing
behavior is common in young animals for both exploring purposes and
teething relief. Electrical cords could prove deadly. To avoid this
problem,
you can use PVC piping to protect cords, hide cords or secure them,
and
use topical deterrents. These deterrents taste bad and discourage
chewing
of inappropriate objects without staining. Make sure you test to see that
your
pet does not like the taste first (on another test object)! You can also
unplug
items as extra precaution or use a toggle switch to shut off the current.
TOYS
Proper toys and lots of them, prevent your critter from getting into
trouble more
than anything else. Try a wide variety and rotate them. Just like small
children,
most animals will tire of the same toys. Keep at least twelve on hand and
rotate
them or add new ones periodically. Go to a quality pet store for
assistance with
selection.
PLASTIC
This is a big danger to any small animal. They can suffocate if they
become
tangled in it or can have a problem if they ingest any. Trash cans,
kitchen
baggies, dry cleaning items, and a variety of other such articles can
be
potential problems.
CLEANING MATERIALS
Taking care that cleaning fluids and powders are kept closed and
locked in
cabinets is important. Kittens often can find new and inventive ways to
open
cupboards or get into drawers and other small storage spaces.
Spilled
materials and cleaning cloths should be cleaned up or stored in areas
where
your pet will not have access to them.
PEST POISONS AND OTHER
ITEMS
Make sure that any snail or ant bait or other related items are also
kept closed
and secured in areas where your pet cannot get access to them. Antifreeze
is
especially dangerous and any leaks or spills could mean death to your
animal
or others that have access to them. Stay alert and aware to these simple
things
and avoid trouble! Any trash receptacles could also be trouble. Secure
lids to
prevent access or spills, and keep alert when you may be considering
tossing
any toxic materials or inappropriate food items.
APPLIANCES
Refrigerators, dish washers, clothes washers and dryers have been
death traps
to more than a few animals. Keeping doors and lids closed and blocking
access
to little cubby holes in the backs of the appliances can keep your animal
safe
and out of harm. Check appliances before you turn them on and note the
location
of your new critter just to be on the safe side. Please also pay attention
to cooking
surfaces, hot irons, and similar risky items to prevent burns and related
injuries. If
you ever use candles, remember that they can be extremely dangerous to
unwary
pets.
BATHROOM CARE
In addition to finding great toys in the toileting area, young kittens
will want to
explore everywhere and could get into trouble if they fall into a tub of
water. Even
if they can swim they may not be able to climb out due to the smooth walls
of
the tub and exhaustion. Keeping the toilet seat lid closed and the door
closed
when the tub is filling or filled is a good precaution. Also, if your
kitten finds that
shredding and spreading the toilet paper is great fun
you might appreciate the
simple barrier strategy to preventing the marauder from trashing the whole
house
with their simple toy!
WINDOWS/SCREENS
If you live in an upper story apartment or condominium you may want to
make sure
that your windows have screens that are secured and that can withstand the
weight
of a cat climbing or pushing on them! Cats love to watch events from
window sills
and keeping them safe from falls is easy if you take a few minutes to add
a few
more securing latches. Even if you live in a single story dwelling,
keeping the
windows and screens secure keeps your kitten safely inside and animal
intruders
out.
SUNSPOTS AND BREAKABLES
Cats will always find great places to sun themselves. This can include
not only
window sills, but tables, chairs, and other ledges or surfaces that catch
the
sunlight. Caution should be taken if you have numerous collectibles or
breakable
objects set out for decoration. Placement of these precious items in other
areas
where they might not be at such a high risk is recommended!
PLANTS
Household plants could face some interesting challenges. Sometimes
they can
be used as scratch posts, litterbox substitutes, and as chewing items.
There are
numerous plants that can be toxic to pets. Make sure that you check the
list
available on-line or in your local veterinary office, and eliminate those
plants that
could be risky to your pet. Remember to also take care with seasonal
varieties
that come into your home around spring or Easter, Thanksgiving or fall
holidays,
and winter holiday trees and poinsettias.
CURTAINS AND FABRIC
Curtains and cloth furniture tend to make great climbing ladders for small
kittens,
as do the occasional pant legs! Teach your kitten to use a cat tree and
have a
variety of scratching posts placed in strategic locations to lesson the
temptation
to use the wrong times to climb. Rewarding acceptable behavior and
reprimanding
inappropriate behavior should start young so that you have a happy and
healthy
animal.
These are just a few of the
items to consider. Look around your home and
assess what might be of risk to your new pet. Be sure to check back
into
this section at Auspet.com for other
ideas on caring for and teaching your
new fabulous feline!
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