Ideas on how to kitten proof a house?!

[Team Svartalfheims]

All my cables are just loose at back of tv and the cats have never touched them really even when they chase each other behind there. You can buy sprays to stop parrots chewing their feathers (Bitter Beak) so you could always spray some of that onto the cables if you are worried, you can get it from PAH.

Watch they can't get stuck behind the fridge, washing machine, tumble dryer, down the back of the cooker etc.

[Mark]

Helen,

I stopped using dettol antibacterial spray as it says on the back to make sure animals don't walk on it - especially cats   - I checked the Tesco version and it says the same. I now use bleach but rinse it afterwards and then dry it with paper towel to be on the safe side. Willow gets into everything so I have to make sure I don't leave the oven open. Same goes for the dishwasher, washing machine etc etc  

[Tiggy's Mum]

You could get some proper cat repellent spray.  I have a huge tangle of cables behind my tv and they both walk around there but never attempt to chew them.  Same with my computer.   

Good idea, I'll obviously avoid spraying the plug area but do you think spraying a liquid onto wires will be safe?

[Tiggy's Mum]

Hmmn, I might have to look into getting a different TV stand then if no-one can think up a bright idea for me!  That one cost £100 (for a bit of metal and glass - ridiculous!) so don't really want to replace it if possible.

I'm like you with the cable thing, I hate how it looks but as cable tidy is not a solution I just have to put up with it and cringe whenever I see it.  I did try taping them all to the spine of the TV stand but it didn't work and I just got very angry leaning over the back of the TV for about an hour!  BTW, completely agree about the loo roll thing, the hanging side needs to be flat against the wall!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Tbh all of mine (even manic mosi) haven't bothered with cables so you may be ok there.  When I got Jaffa I painted some of that stuff to stop you biting your nails on cables in case they chewed them.  Don't know if that was sensible or whether it could have been toxic to cats (but I'm guessing if it's ok for people to chew it's ok for cats!).  don't know whether that worked or whether he just wasn't interested.  You could get some proper cat repellent spray.  I have a huge tangle of cables behind my tv and they both walk around there but never attempt to chew them.  Same with my computer.   

As far as general cat proofing goes - get down on your hands and knees and pretend to be a kitten  I was in a similar situation when I got Mosi as I'd got used to having older cats around and had to have a rethink before I brought Mosi home.

I suggested to my boss I took maternity/adoption leave when I got Mosi but she wasn't having it!

[CurlyCatz]

oh should have said, like my toilet roll hanging obsession i also cannot bare to see loads a cables which is why i have a cabinet 

Its all i can do to allow the kettle to stay out on the worktop and see that cable all the time 

[CurlyCatz]

i knew you wouldnt mind them on the tops but they dont know the difference about standing on them or the cooker was my reasoning for mentioning it (cody is a booger for walking over the cooker) oh and he also likes to hide ontop of the wall units waiting to ambush some poor suspecting soul...namely ME !! 

i meant to say watch what ya do with yer cables as if they are too tightly packed etc the over heat and are a fire risk..my fireman uncle dont like those cable tidy things anyway 

Here i found a pic of my telly, as i said cody can still get to cables if he wants but atleast they arent in his face just tempting him to play with them.

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[Tiggy's Mum]

jeez helen i didnt consider so much when i was pregnant 

I asked for the time off to settle them in as Maternity leave!  My boss thought I was mad but it has now been confirmed 

I'm not fussed about them being on worktops as there is always Dettol Anti-bacterial spray Tiggy wasn't really allowed on them when she was younger but she always did, all it took was a stern voice saying 'Tiggy' and she would sheepishly jump down.  She hadn't been on the worktops for years though as her little legs couldn't manage the jump anymore.  I'm not going to invite them onto the worktops but if they do get up there they'll be told to get down but it's not the end of the world in my opinion

Cooker is a gas hob with a metal grate thing on, hadn't thought of that - might try and get something to cover the dials on the hob up as if they knock them they could turn the gas on    Toilet lid - good thinking hadn't thought of that and I'm terrible for leaving it up.  No fire to worry about, just radiators.

[CurlyCatz]

jeez helen i didnt consider so much when i was pregnant 

as for the wires it is a hazzard isnt it..we have a large lcd and it sits on a tv cabinet (i'll have a look to see if tv appears on any pics LOL) that mostly keeps cody out altho he can and has been down behind it but he's not chewed wires luckly,

Im not sure about the bed thing...prob a good idea coz we have a wooden bed with stacks of junk under it and booger lugs goes in and hides just out of reach of ive got to eventually poke and prod with the long stick to open the loft hatch  (which he i hasten to add finds most amusing)

i suppose you should make sure toilet lid is down (i didnt tho) and be extra careful about worktops and cookers..i dont think cats should be on worktops at all for lots of reasons, however cody disagrees entirely on that one    i cant think of much else, do you have a coal fire ?? probably not but if you did then get a good firegaurd etc.

[Tiggy's Mum]

I've been looking around my house thinking that, although it was perfectly safe for Tiggy, there are lots of areas that I can see my new babies getting themselves into trouble. 

First on my list is to try and sort out the jumble of wires behind the TV, it's not really suitable for a cable tidy as the scart leads are those really thick ones and there's so many different wires coming from the various bits of equipment that there's no way they would fit anyway.  It's an LCD one with a stand so it's not like I could make the area inaccesible like you could with the old style box TV's by just blocking access to it.  Any ideas for making the area safe?  I was thinking cover it with material but then thought that may attract them to play in that area 

Because I've got far too much time on my hands I've taken a pic so you can see what I mean about the area and hopefully come up with ideas 





I've got a wooden bed so will need to get some big shelving type wood to put accross the sides and end to make under the bed a no go zone while they are little, there's lots of junk important things in tubs under there and I don't fancy trying to squeeze under to get them out!

Any other areas that I may have forgotten that anyone has had problems with their cats/kittens getting into mischief?