Kitten Proofing Your Home: A Room-by-Room Checklist

Bringing a kitten home is a lot like bringing home a toddler who can jump five times their height and fit through a hole the size of a golf ball. They are adorable, yes, but they are also tiny daredevils with zero sense of self-preservation.

Before you let your new fluff-ball roam free, you need to look at your house through their eyes. Here is a comprehensive room-by-room guide to kitten-proofing your home.

The General Rules

Strings are enemies: Yarn, thread, shoelaces, and rubber bands can cause fatal intestinal blockages if swallowed. Keep them locked away.
Close the gaps: Check under cabinets and behind appliances. If a kitten can fit, they will fit.
Secure the windows: Ensure screens are secure and have no tears. Kittens can fall out of open windows easily (High-Rise Syndrome).

1. The Living Room

This is usually the main hang-out zone, which means it is full of hazards.

Electrical Cords: Kittens love to chew wires. Use cord covers or hide them behind furniture. rubbed with a little bitter apple spray can also deter chewing.
Reclining Chairs: Always check underneath before lowering the footrest. Kittens often hide in the mechanism.
Houseplants: Many common plants are toxic (Lilies are deadly). Check the ASPCA list and move toxic plants out of reach—or better yet, out of the house.
Curtains: Tie up blind cords (strangulation hazard) and be prepared for kittens to try climbing fabric drapes.

2. The Kitchen

Smells good, tastes dangerous.

Trash Cans: Use a can with a locking lid or keep it in a cupboard. Chicken bones and plastic wrap are major hazards.
Stove Tops: Kittens can jump on a hot stove in a split second. Use burner covers or keep them off the counters while cooking.
Appliances: Always check the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer before closing the door and turning it on. Kittens love warm, dark caves.

3. The Bathroom

Toilet Lids: Keep them down. A kitten can fall in and drown, or at the very least, drink unsanitary water.
Medications: Pills dropped on the floor are fun toys that can kill. Keep all meds in a cabinet.
Dental Floss: Used floss in the trash is very tempting. Make sure your bathroom trash has a lid.

4. The Bedroom

Jewelry & Hair Ties: Keep nightstands clear. Earrings and hair elastics are easily swallowed.
Closets: Check before you shut the door. Being locked in a closet all day is scary (and messy) for a kitten.
Under the Bed: Ensure there is nothing dangerous stored under there, like mothballs or loose change.

The "Safe Room" Concept

For the first few days, do not give your kitten the run of the entire house. Pick one room (like a bedroom or office) to be their "Safe Room."

Put their litter box, food, water, and bed in there.
Kitten-proof this room 100%.
Let them get comfortable here before exploring the rest of the house.

This keeps them safe and helps them learn where the litter box is without getting lost in a giant new world.

Final Tip: Get Down on Their Level

Literally. Crawl around on your hands and knees. You will spot dangling wires, lost pills, and small holes that you would never see from standing up. If you spot it, your kitten definitely will!