Kittens are curious little creatures with a great sense of smell and a good ability to leap and crawl as they explore all the nooks and crannies in your house. If you are a new kitten owner, you may want to kitten-proof your home to keep your new pet from clawing on your favourite items.

Fascinated by everything

Kittens are fascinated by anything that moves and anything that they can move around with their paws. They have great interest in exposed electrical wires, bathroom items, table cloths and things like rolls of tissue. They also like climbing on curtains, doors and windows as soon as they spot them. They will sharpen their claws and enjoy stretching their feet on your furniture.

They also like climbing in high places so if you have high shelves or open cupboards that hold valuable items that can topple over, move them.

 If you have needlework and other yarn supplies, keep them in a closed container. Kittens fancy playing with threads and unrolling them to an unmanageable mess. Make sure you fold and secure your window blinds out of a kitten’s reach.

Good trash can

For your kitchen, invest in a good trash can. Kittens love knocking over trash cans and rummaging through the dirt. Also, cover any food that you have left out in the kitchen. With their great sense of smell and their ability to climb on high places, they will most likely find the food and help themselves to it without any hesitation.

 If your cat will be indoors and outdoors, make sure you clear the compound of things like rodent traps and any other hazardous material. Better yet, fill your house with attractive toys that will keep your cat busy enough not to run into mischief.

Maryanne is a pet owner. [email protected]