Bringing home a new kitten is extremely exciting! You have probably spent days or weeks anticipating their homecoming, and to finally have them home with you is such a joyful time. However, you may not be accustomed to sharing your home with a cat, and you may have to slightly adjust your routines or be mindful of certain dangers for the safety of your new furball.
Kittens are curious creatures, and they will want to explore everything that you let them. Establish right away what is okay and what isn’t. When necessary, discourage them from unwanted areas and redirect them to good areas. Be aware of the following potential dangers in day to day life:
Washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers
A kitten may think these are warm caves of fun, and your kitten may look adorable hanging out when you are trying to clean, but realize the very real possibility of horror that could come from such habits. Be careful when operating these machines and always know the whereabouts of your kitten. Similarly, be careful around ovens, stoves, refrigerators, and freezers.
Toilets
While your kitten is still small, he may not be able to climb out of a toilet bowl if he were to fall in. Keep the lid closed.
Cat toys
Toys with feathers, strings, or small pieces that can easily fall apart should not be left out for a cat to play with unattended. Cats have barbs on their tongues and the roof of their mouths, making it almost impossible for them to spit things out. A bowel obstruction can be life-threatening and require major surgery.
Household stuff
Be careful of common household items that might present itself as a play thing to your cat. Glass items, bobby pins, tinfoil, christmas ornaments, string, and many other things should be kept out of the reach of a cat if possible.
Your own feet
Kittens are small and maybe haven’t learned not to walk in front of you. Avoid a terrible accident by being mindful of where your kitten is, especially if you are hurrying about the room.
Doors
Kittens will see the small crack in an open door to be a great play opportunity. Be careful not to close the door on a paw or tail – it can easily happen. Also watch your feet when exiting an exterior door so as not to accidentally let the kitten out, and train your visitors to quickly close doors as they enter or leave.
Plants
Some household plants are poisonous to cats. View a list of toxic plants.
People food
Most cats aren’t too interested in your food, but if they are… don’t feed it to them. One exception could be some plain, unseasoned chicken as a treat!
Chemical cleaners
When cleaning the house, put your cat in a separate room if you are going to be using cleaning agents. Most cleaners contain chemicals that are toxic to humans, so think about how toxic they would be to a kitten that is 2% of your size!
This may seem like an overwhelming list of things to think about! Don’t worry or become too nervous – these things will become second nature to you the longer you own a cat. The most important thing is to be aware of what your kitten is up to, especially when your activities could be potentially dangerous to the kitten. Since they are cats and they sleep a lot, this job shouldn’t be too hard 🙂
