How to Cat-Proof Your Living Room
The living room is usually the main space of a home and, many times, the most used space by cats. It’s important to make sure to cat proof your living room so it is a safe space for them to be in, as there are many things you might overlook that could pose a risk to your cat.
Keep Candles Out of Reach
Lots of people love to have a nice, fresh-scented candle going in the living room. However, these can pose an obvious risk to cats. Being the curious creatures they are, cats may attempt to inspect the candle and could get hurt. There are many cases of tails being inadvertently singed. If you have cats in your home but still want to enjoy the ambiance that candles offer, try switching to flameless candles. They won’t give off the same level of scent or have a real flame, but they make a great alternative and can still provide ambiance to a room. Some flameless candles are made of great quality and even come scented to give off a subtle scent.
Cover Any Exposed Electrical Wires
Cats love to chew on things and cords are definitely no exception. The last thing we want for our cats is to be shocked while chewing on an electrical cord. Try to hide all cords behind furniture and out of the way so that your cat doesn’t have access to them. If this isn’t possible, there are cord covers you can purchase that will help hide cords that run along walls that your cat may have access to. There are some made for both floors and walls. Not only do these help keep your cat safe by preventing it from chewing on them, but they also help improve the look of the room by getting messy cords out of sight.
Tie Up Hanging Blind Cords
Just like with exposed cords, you want to make sure that any blind cords are out of reach of your cat. If they are hanging low, tie them up and out of reach so that your cat doesn’t play with them. These can pose a risk of your cat becoming tangled in them and potentially choking — especially if they are looped.
Consider the Type of Plants You Have
Plants are very beneficial to have in your home. They beautify a space and can help keep your indoor air clean. However, you need to be sure that the plants you have and bring into your home are safe for cats as some plants can be toxic to them. If you’re concerned about whether or not a plant is safe for your cat, you can always check online before purchasing one or speak to your veterinarian about which ones you should avoid.
How to Cat-Proof Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the next area that should be cat-proofed before you bring your new cat home, as it can present a few dangers to cats as well. Let’s go over how to make sure your kitchen is safe for cats.
Cover Your Stovetop
This might be the most important tip to keep your kitchen safe for your cat. Stovetops can be very dangerous for cats since cats love to jump up onto surfaces. If your stove happens to be on when your cat jumps up onto it, your cat is at risk of serious injury. Even if the stove isn’t on at the time, but was recently in use, your cat can still suffer from burns on its sensitive paws. You can help prevent this by using burner covers when your stove is not in use.
Keep All Cabinets and Your Pantry Door Closed
Cats love to explore and they will readily go inside cabinets and pantries if they have the access to them. Try to keep all of your cabinet doors closed so that your cat can’t get into them—especially the cabinets where you keep your cleaning supplies. If you have a really explorative cat that likes to open up cabinet doors to get inside, you should consider using child-proof locks on them to help keep your cat out.
Keep All Trash Covered and Out of Reach
Not only do you not want your cat to be able to get into your trash, but you also don’t want it to risk suffocation from the trash bag. If your cat gets into your trash it could also eat something that may make it sick. Some food scraps that are thrown away can be toxic to cats and if they eat them, they could cause digestive issues, nausea, or vomiting.
How to Cat-Proof Your Bathroom
Finally, you want to check a few things in your bathroom to make sure that it is safe for your cat as well. This isn’t typically a place where your cat will hang out or spend a lot of time in, but if it has access to it, you want to make sure that it’s safe. Let’s go over a few ways to cat-proof your bathroom.
Keep the Toilet Lid Closed
Your cat could fall into the toilet if the lid isn’t kept closed, which could be very dangerous if you were in the middle of cleaning and there was toilet bowl cleaner sitting in the bowl. Always keep the lid closed to keep your cat from playing in the bowl.
Keep Medications and Supplements Put Away
This one is an important tip. All prescription medications and supplements should be put away safely in a cabinet or drawer in your bathroom, rather than left out on the counter or sink. If the bottle wasn’t closed properly, a cat can easily knock the bottle onto the floor and potentially consume the medication or supplements, which could be dangerous or life-threatening.
Additional Tips for Cat-Proofing Your Home
When doing laundry, always check to make sure that your cat did not jump into the dryer before you turn it on. Sometimes cats like to lay on piles of clothing and a dryer can look like a warm, inviting place for cats to take a nap. It can be fatal for a cat that gets trapped inside of a dryer when it’s turned on. Keep any chemicals out of reach of your cat and lock or secure them in cabinets that it doesn’t have direct access to. Cats are notorious for knocking things over and if the cap on a bottle of cleaning solution or motor oil wasn’t secured, it can spill all over the floor if your cat is able to get to it. And if your cat is really curious and tastes the solution, or tries to groom itself after exposure, it can cause serious illness or in some cases, be fatal.
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