How to Make Your Home Safe for a New Kitten

One of the easiest things to forget when you're getting ready for a new kitten is that your house is designed for humans- not for a tiny, curious animal who can climb, squeeze into ridiculously small spaces, and chew on things they absolutely shouldn't.

Most homes don't need to be completely rearranged before bringing home a kitten, but there are a few things worth checking ahead of time. A little pet-proofing can prevent a lot of stress (and some very expensive vet visits).

Start by Getting Down to Kitten Level

This is probably my favorite way to kitten-proof a house: get down on the floor and look around.

Things that don't seem particularly interesting or dangerous to us can look very different to a kitten. Look for dangling cords, tiny objects they could swallow, holes they could crawl into, and anything that would be tempting to climb or chew. Likewise, if you'd not want a toddler to mess with it, the same can be said for a kitten.

Watch the Cords

Kittens love to investigate things with their mouths, and electrical cords can be especially tempting.

Keep cords tucked away when possible, particularly phone chargers, computer cords, lamp cords, and anything else hanging where a kitten can easily reach it. Cord covers or organizers can be helpful for areas where cords can't be moved out of reach. While most cats will leave them alone where there are funner options or entertainment available, some cats do love cables. We'll just have to find out it if yours is one of them.

This is especially true for loose phone charging cables. They're thin and these are the exact types of cords that a kitten and cat will love to mess with. I've replaced many a chewed charger so take it from me!

Be Careful With Recliners and Other Furniture

Recliners are one of those things you may never think about until you have a kitten.

Kittens can crawl underneath furniture or into mechanisms where they can be injured when the furniture moves. Before using a recliner, sofa bed, or other piece of furniture with moving parts, make sure you know where your kitten is.

The same goes for drawers, cabinets, and furniture that has small openings behind or underneath it. If your kitten can fit inside, assume they'll eventually try.

Check Your Appliances

Kittens are drawn to warm, dark, enclosed places, which unfortunately means appliances can be very interesting to them.

Always check the washer and dryer before using them. A kitten can crawl inside when the door is left open, particularly with front-loading machines.

Dishwashers can also be interesting hiding places, especially if the door is open. Keep an eye on your kitten when loading and unloading appliances and get into the habit of checking before closing or turning anything on.

And yes, check behind the appliances too. Kittens are remarkably good at disappearing into spaces you didn't know were accessible.

Tidy Up Small Objects

Anything small enough to swallow is worth thinking about.

Hair ties, rubber bands, pieces of plastic, children's toys, jewelry, craft supplies, and similar objects can all become tempting kitten toys.

You don't need to live in a completely empty house, but keep small objects picked up in areas where your kitten has access. This is especially important if you have young children, because a floor covered in tiny toys can become a kitten buffet.

Kitten-Proof the Kids' Rooms

If you have children, their rooms and play areas also should be considered unless your children are great at closing doors (because mine sure aren't)!

Small toys, doll accessories, LEGO pieces, craft supplies, strings, and other little objects can be very tempting to a kitten. Make it a family habit to keep small items picked up once the kitten has access to those areas.

It's also worth teaching children that a kitten needs somewhere they can go to get away and rest. Constantly carrying, chasing, or waking a kitten can make the adjustment period much harder.

Look for Tiny Escape Routes

Your kitten may be small enough to fit through spaces that you would never consider an opening.

Check behind appliances, underneath cabinets, around plumbing openings, behind furniture, and anywhere there is a gap leading into a wall or other inaccessible space.

You don't necessarily need to seal every single gap in your house, but you should prevent access to places where a kitten could become trapped or where you couldn't safely retrieve them.

Be Careful With Plants

Some common houseplants can be toxic to cats.

If you have plants throughout your home, it's worth checking whether they're cat-safe before your kitten arrives. If you aren't sure about a particular plant, keep it somewhere your kitten cannot access until you've confirmed that it's safe.

Don't forget about flowers and bouquets, either. Lilies in particular are extremely dangerous to cats, so they are best kept completely out of a cat household. I have a short guide to toxic plants for cats worth checking out if you're a plant parent too!

Secure the Doors

A new kitten should have a little extra protection around exterior doors.

Kittens are curious and fast, and they can slip through an open door before you even realize they're behind you. Be especially careful when bringing in groceries, receiving deliveries, having guests over, or carrying things in and out of the house.

If you're going to have a lot of people coming and going, putting your kitten in a secure room with the door closed is often the easiest solution.

For more on preventing escapes, see How to Keep Your Indoor Cat From Escaping.

Windows and Screens

If you have windows that you open, make sure the screens are secure.

Don't assume a screen is strong enough simply because it has always been fine with your adult cat. A kitten climbing or pushing against it can cause it to pop loose. If you're brave enough, you can throw a pillow at the screen. Not with all your might, but if you can toss a pillow at the screen and it pops off, it's not going to stay in place for a youthful energetic kitten who lunges at it.

Be especially careful with upper-story windows. An open window without a secure screen is not a safe place for a kitten, even if you think they're too small or cautious to get near it.

Give Them Safe Places to Climb and Hide

Pet-proofing isn't just about taking things away. It's also about giving your kitten appropriate places to do normal kitten things.

A cat tree, scratching post, cardboard box, tunnel, window perch, or cozy bed gives your kitten somewhere to climb, scratch, hide, and observe what's going on around them.

This can actually prevent some of the problems you're trying to avoid. A kitten who has a good scratching post is less likely to decide your sofa is the perfect scratching surface, and a kitten with a safe hiding place doesn't have to find their own. I've got a list of these enrichment ideas on this list!

Final Thoughts: Don't Stress Out Making Your House Perfect

You don't need to turn your home into a sterile kitten-proof bubble.

The goal is simply to identify the things that could seriously hurt your kitten, give them access to something dangerous or expensive/hard to replace, or allow them to disappear somewhere you can't reach them.

Spend ten minutes walking around your house at kitten level, secure the obvious hazards, put away the tempting little objects, check your appliances and windows, and make sure your kitten has some safe places of their own and then hope for the best.

Your kitten is going to find plenty of other ways to get into trouble that you never anticipated and you can manage those on a case by case basis! Hope this is a helpful start!