Thread: Preparing for Kitten

Originally Posted by SoxCat

The "adventure playground" is the part I'm worried about!

We were worried about the same thing too when we got our first kitten, Tatja. Our house is built around a small “atrium” – a void which goes all the way to the roof, and there are some places where she could fall off from some height.

For instance, there’s a 2 m drop from the kitchen into the living room.



To prevent them from teetering precariously on the cast iron fence, we put up a shelf. The top is covered with rough carpeting (actually a doormat).



Right underneath the shelf is a large beanbag (Fatboy) which is a good thing, because El Monto once fell of the shelf when he rolled over in his sleep. He landed unhurt, albeit a bit confused, on the beanbag.

Also, if you have an open staircase it’s safest to cover it in carpeting instead of something smooth like lino or laminate… the carpeting will prevent them from slipping and losing their grip.

Furthermore, check the house for hidey holes where they can get stuck and cover them up. We made a little door underneath the kitchen sink to prevent them from getting behind the cupboards that are below the counter.

Plants and flowers are another thing to consider. Ours love to chew and demolish them, so we only have plants that are not poisonous or irritating to cats – mainly Arecas in the home and bamboo and lavender in the garden. (The only exception being the ivy that is impossible to weed out, but fortunately the Coonies leave it alone.) You can do a google search for plants that are safe for cats.

Finally, try not to worry overmuch… kitties are very agile and have a superb sense of balance (most of the time). Just keep in mind they will always try to check out places where they're not supposed to be.