Cat proofing home

GingerLily

Hi,

We're going to move into our new home in the next month or so and will be decorating it from scratch (new build). We will be hopefully adopting two kittens from our nearest animal shelter once we're settled (probably second half of next year) and I'm so excited for that.

Is there advice for do and don't for furniture etc. We're already aware of no reclining sofas as I know they can get caught and we're aware that cats/kittens may scratch furniture but I'm sure there are loads of other things we need to take on bored.

We won't be buying any cat specific items for the time being - we just to make sure we make the house easily adaptable to be cat friendly from the beginning.

Any advice?

Arthur Daley

Get multiple cat scratchers and multiple litter trays. At least 3 between the 2 cats I would say.

forgodssake

Arthur Daley wrote:

Get multiple cat scratchers and multiple litter trays. At least 3 between the 2 cats I would say.

+1 on this . And if they are anything like my guys a nice furry bed each .

GingerLily

I'm not near the buying of Cat specific items yet - I just want to make sure all the human furniture and appliances etc. are cat friendly.

Nody

GingerLily wrote: »

I'm not near the buying of Cat specific items yet - I just want to make sure all the human furniture and appliances etc. are cat friendly.

Careful with any flowers; make sure you got nets on all windows you want to open or cats will escape. For furniture avoid leather (scratched up it's expensive to fix :P ) and same with any painted wood (expect to repaint it if needed so pick easy colors to pick up to paint). Anything standing up on shelves/windowsills are objects you need to expect to fall down at one time or another (i.e. no glass etc. that's not in a closed cabinet).

GingerLily

Nody wrote: »

Careful with any flowers; make sure you got nets on all windows you want to open or cats will escape. For furniture avoid leather (scratched up it's expensive to fix :P ) and same with any painted wood (expect to repaint it if needed so pick easy colors to pick up to paint). Anything standing up on shelves/windowsills are objects you need to expect to fall down at one time or another (i.e. no glass etc. that's not in a closed cabinet).

That's a great point about touching up furniture paint - so far everything we've bought meets this criteria but I'll definitely need to make sure we get an enclosed sideboard / dresser for the dining room - no cat access to wine glasses!


Does anyone have any flooring advice? We're hoping to get good quality lament downstairs and carpet upstairs - are their any carpets that I should avoid with cats?

We've more considerations then just cats obviously but I'm trying to be prepared.

Nody

GingerLily wrote: »

Does anyone have any flooring advice? We're hoping to get good quality lament downstairs and carpet upstairs - are their any carpets that I should avoid with cats?

Carpets tend to tie and hold dust and cats add to that; make sure what ever carpet you get is not going to hold all that hair etc. and needs to be maintained more often than with humans only. Also keep in mind if they have an accident on the carpet you can have problem getting the stink out (specialist cleaners should sort that out) but also risk of permanent stains due to the cleaners used to remove the smell.

Alun

Nody wrote: »

Careful with any flowers; ...

And, if you don't know this already, never, ever have lilies of any kind in the house. The pollen is highly toxic to cats, even a small amount landing on their fur and them licking it off can have devastating effects.

GingerLily

Nody wrote: »

Carpets tend to tie and hold dust and cats add to that; make sure what ever carpet you get is not going to hold all that hair etc. and needs to be maintained more often than with humans only. Also keep in mind if they have an accident on the carpet you can have problem getting the stink out (specialist cleaners should sort that out) but also risk of permanent stains due to the cleaners used to remove the smell.

The synthetic thick carpet we were looking at is stain proof (and bleachable) which I was hoping meant that shouldn't absorb accidents but I'll look into this.

Thanks for your help, I'll try do my own research too, I've never owned a cat before - but we had a family dog and I've cat sat a lot!!

pawrick

Exposed cables, cats love to get in behind TV's etc so ensure they cant gnaw on any loose cables or get their hair clogging pc/tv air vents. Same applies for chargers, some of mine will try to play with the cables if left plugged in.

Cats like to be up high, so if you have a mantle piece or high backs on the furniture they will chose there to rest there if they can, watch out for any ornaments etc you may have. Give them alternatives such as cat trees to climb and rest on.

Scratching - some cats behave better than others. I have multiple scratching posts for example but one of my cats will insist on clawing the door frames even if the door is open. I've given up trying to stop her at this point but she only seems to do it when my partner is there without me anyhow. I had thought about putting clear pvc sheets on the bottom of the doors to protect them but I'm not sure which would look worse.

Dont forget to give them one on one time to help them bond more with you over one another and as they are kittens they will probably go though a noisy stage at night so consider where they will be sleeping at night and how that may affect your own sleep.

Lumen

Don't put carpet on stairs if you can avoid it.

GingerLily

Lumen wrote: »

Don't put carpet on stairs if you can avoid it.

I don't think we'll really have a choice about that - is it scratching that would be the issue?

jenn1984

Cat trees are a lifesaver. I'd recommend getting a good big one. We have 7 cats and most of them LOVE the cat tree for sleeping and working on their claws (less damage to the furniture). Our most recent one went bust but we have one on route from zooplus

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Shenshen

If you're planning on getting roller blinds, make sure there's no dangling looped ropes. They can be a serious danger to cats, they have been known to get themselves caught and strangled in them.

The same would go for christmas decorations - never fix the lights to the tree, drape them loosely so if the cat does get tangled up, the only thing you'll have to mourn is the toppled-over tree.

If you don't have a back door already, maybe consider one which can easily be fitted with a cat flap later.

Speedwell

It IS possible to train cats not to scratch, but it takes vigilance and time. All three of mine scratch only their designated scratching posts, but they do so in the expectation of getting a "payoff" of treats.

Mickeroo

Don't buy nice expensive furniture, no matter how many scratchers you have they will still go for the furniture

who_ru

I have 2 cats, 8 months old. One scratches her cardboard scratcher and nothing else. The other tears at the carpet on the stairs which wrecks both my head and carpet.

cleaning out 2 litter trays is a job, especially after having cleaned them they use them immediately again. I’m at the stage where the female will not go to the toilet anywhere else even outdoors. She was out today for 4 or 5 hours and when I was in the shed cleaning out litter tray she walked into it after I refilled it and did her business. Hard to believe.

Speedwell

who_ru wrote: »

I have 2 cats, 8 months old. One scratches her cardboard scratcher and nothing else. The other tears at the carpet on the stairs which wrecks both my head and carpet.

cleaning out 2 litter trays is a job, especially after having cleaned them they use them immediately again. I’m at the stage where the female will not go to the toilet anywhere else even outdoors. She was out today for 4 or 5 hours and when I was in the shed cleaning out litter tray she walked into it after I refilled it and did her business. Hard to believe.

You shouldn't need to clean them more than once a day. If they smell bad even before one day is up, bleach out the litter trays.

Nody

who_ru wrote: »

I have 2 cats, 8 months old. One scratches her cardboard scratcher and nothing else. The other tears at the carpet on the stairs which wrecks both my head and carpet.

cleaning out 2 litter trays is a job, especially after having cleaned them they use them immediately again. I’m at the stage where the female will not go to the toilet anywhere else even outdoors. She was out today for 4 or 5 hours and when I was in the shed cleaning out litter tray she walked into it after I refilled it and did her business. Hard to believe.

2? Try 8 toilets and 7 cats and yes there's a queue at which ever is the favourite toilet at the time (changes over time) when it's cleaned to refill it for us :P

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who_ru

They are beginning to stink the house out now, I’m struggling to see how I can continue to keep them as indoor pets and have a home that doesn’t stink. Does the cat litter deodorant make any difference I wonder?

I’m not at home for long periods of the day when I’m working, >12hrs, and so the litter trays are full some evenings.

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Kablamo!

Also might be worth having a look at what you're feeding them because a smell that bad isn't normal.

Speedwell

I know this sounds a bit silly, but think about the ventilation currents within the house. I can tell when the litter needs changing before anyone else because the air currents drive the cat smell from the upstairs bathroom where the box is straight to the single bedroom I use as a home office, seemingly without touching any points in between! Moving the box to a place where natural air currents drive the smell out of, rather than into, the house might make a lot of difference.

Speedwell

Kablamo! wrote: »

Also might be worth having a look at what you're feeding them because a smell that bad isn't normal.

And could mean that one or more of the cats has a digestive issue. I had a cat once who had a miserable time with his gut, and another with megacolon. A course of antibiotics both helped and didn't help the first one... it wiped out an infection but uncovered an underlying dysfunction. The second needed surgery, and should have got it much sooner but we didn't realise anything was wrong other than smelly poo.

If the smell is strong pee and you have at least one unneutered tomcat, get the tom neutered. Intact toms have unbelievably stinky pee. If you aren't a cat breeder, don't let your intact toms be.

who_ru

Hi

I use wooden pellets for litter as that is what they were used to when in the shelter. One cat, the male, always buries his, the female never does, she just can’t be bothered it seems and this is what causes the stink.

In terms of food they get wet food in the morning, dry in the evening. Good quality food too.

Both cats are neutered.

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Nody

who_ru wrote: »

Hi

I use wooden pellets for litter as that is what they were used to when in the shelter. One cat, the male, always buries his, the female never does, she just can’t be bothered it seems and this is what causes the stink.

In terms of food they get wet food in the morning, dry in the evening. Good quality food too.

Both cats are neutered.

Try switching to Benek Super Compact; of all the litters we've tried short of scented it has had the best smell control and is likely to help. By going to clay you may also encourage her to cover it; as someone who've gone through multiple wood and clay litters it should be a non issue to change over.