How Do You Cat Proof?

[EmmiTemmi]

I had a scare today. I was out grocery shopping and got a motion notification on my phone about my home pet camera (which faces in towards the galley kitchen). I open it an find that my entire dish drying rack, which sits on a small stretch of counter between my sink and outer wall, has been completely tipped to the floor. Glass shattered, heavy pans fell, and my heart sank. I moved the camera around it's full axis trying to find my cats, to see if they had stepped in the glass or were passed out after having been bonked in the noggin by my sauce pan, but I couldn't find them. Ensue 30+ minutes of utter panic as I check out and try to drive home during rush-hour. The boys were fine (although my glassware was not), and I secluded them in the bathroom as I cleaned up.

This isn't the first time they've gotten into trouble while I've been out. They're able to scale 5+ shelves on my bookcase to tip over treats (and then gorge themselves and puke). They jump at my blinds when they're open and manage to grab the cords (which I hook over the top of the window frame to try and stop them from accessing them so they can't suffocate themselves). They jump on the counter, no matter what I do to try and stop them, and nibble at my knife block. I'm just so scared that one day I'll come home and they'll have managed to hurt themselves somehow. I have my bathroom toilet paper and hand soap in a medicine cabinet because they would tear at the TP and knock over the soap (And I'm afraid they'll eat/lick it!). I had a water fountain for them, but one boy started dragging it halfway down the hall, while it was plugged in, then dislodged the top so the pump was just pumping air (now they just have a bowl). In the summer I had a fan on a shelf, but that got knocked over (thank goodness it wasn't on at the time) and dented the floor of the apartment (hope my landlord doesn't notice). And they've managed to pull down 35+ books from my bookshelf when they set their minds to it. They're only 11 months old, so I know they're full of energy, and I play with them as much as I can, but they still make mischief whenever I'm out. I don't want them hurting themselves while I'm out. Today was the most panicked I've ever been when I saw the dish rack on the floor and no cat in sight. I don't want that to happen again.

TLDR: What do you do to your house/apartment to stop your cats from wrecking havoc wherever they go?

 

[Furballsmom]

This sounds like @1CatOverTheLine and possibly Kieka , if they have the time, to comment on....my Big Guy is nothing like this, although my baby meezer that owned my heart back when I was a kid, would have been.
Wow.

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

Oh my goodness monsters lol! It’s a two fold problem, remove/block/make undesirable and offer fun/good/yummy/entertaingin sfae alternatives. First buy some blue painters tape, I love the stuff- she hates it! It’s cheap and not very sticky so won’t damage your nice things, plus it smells a bit strong and is a great deterrent. Just tear and place sticky side up tape rolls where cats aren’t wanted, they HATE tape on their feet. Also, you can buy air canisters that are motion activated that will send a harmless blast of air if the cat jumps in front of it. Great for counters! Also, try some good puzzles, balls etc that you can put treats in and they have to work to get them out, it will keep them busy for hours! Buy toys they love, but only get when you go to work, that way they are “new”. If you have day 15 toys, the cats will hardly play if they are always available. Try rotating them, say 3 or 5 for a few days, and then switch them to the next group and so on. You will be shocked at how much they play with the “new” toys! I also don’t like clutter etc., but I don’t mind a box playhouse that’s out only when I’m gone and is picked up when I’m home. There’s also lots of pop up tubes etc that fold away to nothing for storage. Does that help?

 

[epona]

I'd get rid of the blinds right away if they have cords - they are a real danger to cats, and often you hear of kittens getting strangled in the cords. I suggest replacing with something less dangerous.

EDIT: Also it is OK to not let them have free run of every room while you are out - if you have stuff in the medicine cabinet, keep the door to that room shut so they can't go in there. Same for stuff like laundry supplies and cleaning products. You can put bolts on doors if there is a risk they can get into a room or cabinet/cupboard that it would be risky for them to have access to.

 

[maggiedemi]

They have cordless blinds now at Walmart. I'm thinking of getting some, they aren't very expensive.

 

[nese]

We have 3 cats, 2 of them are full of energy all the time, the other also joins them from time to time. We both work, so there is noone at home all the time to monitor them. We try to think every possibility to cat proof our home.

Just like yours, one day (luckily when we were at home) they dropped our dish drying rack to the kitchen floor, all the glasses were shattered. Since then, I never leave the dishes on drying rack, I immediately dry the dishes and put them in their places. We never leave anything glass, ceramic etc. on the kitchen counter, on shelves, or on the tables.
We also keep the knives in drawers instead of knife block, because they try to pull the knives out of the block. We keep everything in kitchen behind cabinet doors.

When I am cooking, I close the kitchen door and keep them out of the kitchen because they just jump on the oven or the stove when the heat is turned on...

One of them likes to chew cables, so we never leave anything plugged in when we were not at home. They have water fountain, but we hide the cable

We put door stoppers to all the doors, because one day when we came home from work, we found them trapped in a room, with the door closed. Also I afraid they may jam their paws or tail in the door, when running like crazy and playing beside the door by pushing their toys under the door (to one side first and then to the other).

We fixed all the bookcases to the wall, in case they may climb and knock over the book case. We also "knock ever" the coffee table ourselves before we leave the house, so that they do not knock over it on themselves.

 

[epona]

^ nese - I also keep the cats out of the kitchen while I am cooking or while the hobs on the stove are cooling down afterwards. Not worth the risk of letting one of my beloveds getting to a boiling pan or hot hob.

 

[Kieka]

We've always been firm and consistent with the cats when it comes to counters and places they aren't allowed. While they try every now and then since we always take them down and ignore them after its gotten to the point of just being an occasional testing. I'd say that staying firm with the cats about them not being allowed on kitchen counters is the first step. A hard no, remove them and ignore them each and every time and as quickly as possible. It usually takes two weeks of firm redirection for something like that to start sticking but cats will learn. You just can't give in even once or it will set everything back.

You can also get those motion sensor air fresheners and set them up on counters so if you aren't around the cats will get puffed at when they jump where they shouldn't be. Temporary double stick tape or anything that makes getting up there could be helpful too until they get the picture.

For the time being, I would limit what you leave out when you are gone. You could also try leaving the TV on the nature channel or something in hopes that it will get their attention. Although my girl seems to go for the neon colored and flashy movies. She absolutely was mesmerized by the big fight scene in the latest Ghostbuster movie (not even exaggerating). Another option would be a fish tank (obviously with a lid and in a place they couldn't tip it over at) to distract them. We have a 35 gallon on a stand and I can put a chair in front of it to entertain Rocket for at least 30 minutes. She also enjoys a cat tree with the shelf level with the window so she can stare outside.

Link is the more rambunctious of the two, but we've just always maintained firm boundaries with him so he knows what is and isn't allowed. He gets too crazy and I tell him to knock it off and he looks sheepish before running into the other room where he is quieter. I try to pay attention though and redirect before we get to that point. Tossing toys to lead him into another area where his antics are safer or taking a wand toy to really tire him out in the moment.

I know in your case you were gone. They probably got too wound up and knocked them over chasing each other. In which case it would be more finding a way to block that area. Hopefully, they mellow a little with age so that they don't knock things over.

 

[Neo_23]

EmmiTemmi What is the home pet camera system you use? It sounds really good.

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

I completely agree with Kieka Take the time to train and life for you, your kitlet, your home and guests will be enjoyable and stress free. Buttercup now knows she’s not allowed on the kitchen counters after only a short time of telling her firmly “no!” Now she hops up on the bar stools and watches her food being prepared, it’s actually really cute! I also know I and so many people do not want paws that have been in a litter box walking on food prep surfaces, I’m really glad we’ve gotten her to respect that. Just be firm and consistent and before you know it, they will respect your boundaries!

 

[EmmiTemmi]

Thank you guys for all the suggestions, I'll definitely try some of them out.

As far as changing the blinds M maggiedemi epona , that's not something I can do because I'm a renter (I wish I could though because they've already snapped some of the horizontal blind strips in half, and chewed off the ends of others...bye bye deposit).

I'm also unable to fix the bookcases to the wall nese , as I'm not allowed to use any sort of nails or command strips.

I'm technically not supposed to use 'adhesives' like tape on his surfaces either, but I do have double sided sticky tape that I'll use on solid surfaces, such as the sinks and counters (and I'll remove them if the landlord comes over). But as soon as the tape is gone, the boys are right back on the surface, so the tape really is just a short-term solution.

The motion activated sprays are a good idea, but expensive. Although at this point the cost might be worth it, so it's definitely something I'll look into more. Kieka FlawlessImperfection Any suggestions for which ones would work the best/be worth the money?

I wish I could leave a TV on for them when I'm out, but sadly I don't have one. And there's a 0% chance my landlord will let me get a fish tank. Haha, I'd love to ask just to see the look on his face. I might try getting a cheap radio to leave on for them. Or maybe leave my tablet up high out of their reach with a movie on or something.

As for the puzzle ball idea, I do have one that I set out as I leave, but even on the hardest setting it's empty within 15 minutes. I like the 'fresh' toy idea. I do rotate the toys they have laying out, but adding some more fresh toys as I leave might help with their boredom.

Finding a way to block off access to the dish rack area is my primary point of concern right now. I think between my uncle and I we can find a way to jerry-rig a box/blocker to place around that section of counter. It's less than a half foot wide space of counter between the sink and wall, so if I can block access from the sink side and front side, then they won't be able to knock over the dish rack anymore.

Neo_23 I'm pretty happy with the camera so far. I got the 'Amazon's Choice' one But the cord is a little shorter than I was hoping. Great video quality though, and since there's a wall between my couch and the counter the boys like to hop on, I like that the camera sends me motion notifications so I can know they're on the counter without being able to physically see the counter. The two way audio is nice too. Wish I could use the wall-mount that came with it though.

FlawlessImperfection Kieka I really am trying to be consistent with saying no and taking them off the counters, but it's difficult sometimes. I'm sticking with it though, in the hopes that one day they'll understand what I'm trying to teach them!

All in all, they're wonderful boys and I love them with my whole heart, despite their crazy antics. And hopefully as they mature they'll mellow out. My boys are perfect for me, despite their impurrfections.

 

[Kieka]

We have one of these in the bathroom,
and the noise scares the cats every time they hear it. Shoot, that thing scares me half the time. It's the guest bathroom so I don't go in there much.

I know how hard it is to be consistent. Cats will take the slightest opening though as permission. I had to work hard with Link and remain firm. He is a very well behaved cat 90% of the time now and does listen. It just took a year to get there, hang in there. One day you'll look up and notice that it paid off.

 

[Draco]

oh man.. sounds like one of my cats who gets into everything.

Some of the things I've had to do:

Child-proof all cabinet doors
Child-proof locks on fridge and freezer doors.
Bricks inside my trash-can and bungee it shut
Cover my door handles
Sliding doors, I've had to drill a hole and keep them shut with a removable nail.
Eye and hook on other doors.

I've used tinfoil to keep him off counters. Nope, I find the foils flattened with pawprints.
I've used the mats that go under office chairs with spikes. Nope, came home to find him snoozing on it.
I've used Sccatt spray- it only goes off when I am around, not him.
The mats that emits high-pitched noises? He loves that sound!

Good luck!

 

[Shar371]

Figured I'd chime in with my two cents (also in because...heh... new kitty=new problems, so I'm needing tips as well)

I've been a renter for the entirety of my cat-owning experience, so these are all renter-friendly (at least, the places I've been). I'm also gone for 10-12 hours each workday, and never had a pet cam (thanks for that link, now I'm getting one so I can creep on my cat!) so they could get into trouble and I'd never know it.

For the blinds, I wind the cords around two fingers, then use washi tape (craft store, doesn't leave a lot of residue) or a binder clip to binder them together and clip them to the top of the fixture. I also leave a couple blinds open before I leave for the day.

For counter issues, I used aluminum foil, wrapped pretty loosely where they would leap. Three weeks of training kept Midnight off of the counter/table for three years and three apartments (at our fourth apartment, she couldn't resist the kitchen island and its big, beautiful sink).

I can't install child-locks or baby-proof the cabinets, and, much to my dismay, Hank LOVES batting open and closed cabinet doors. One night, I came home and he was covered in something I still can't identify (but I suspect was leaking caulk). I have a bunch of christmas ribbon, and special knots that he hasn't figured out yet. I loop "bows" over the cabinet handles. Either he'll give up or get a merit badge, I'm not sure which.

Midnight, on the other hand, liked to close doors. I rolled up that foamy shelf liner (I had some left over) and wedged it under doors as a makeshift doorstopper.

It wasn't a problem with Midnight, but Hank has taught me that the toilet cover must now be down at all times (Silly boy-cat thinks it's a jacuzzi...)

 

[houseofnine]

Hello and thank you for caring so much about your kitties. It is scary when they get into things. We have TWELVE in a 1500 sq ft house, so I probably have some tips for ya. Our house is pretty darn kitty proof--or close-- so I will tell you all i know and you can pick whatever you think may work.
A good place to start is buying household items that are sold as "kid-safe" or baby safe. Tie up those miniblind cords, up at the top of the window. Also you can buy these spools that have flexible silicone that go over them--it flips back, you wrap the cord, then you flip the silicone thing back. Look sort of like a flying saucer. Attached a pic here of two types.
ALL the electrical cords are wrapped with PVC flexible cord wrap in our house. You buy it in bulk from Amazon, wrap the cords, cut off the excess.
NO knife block on the counter. You can get flat knife blocks made just for drawers.
NO glass or ceramic vases, real candles, or table runners or dresser doilies.
Floor lamps need to have really heavy bases or jam them into a corner behind a couch so they can't be pulled over. Table lamps--get the heaviest darn things you can find, and stick to metal, wood, or stone bases.
Use cool-burning LED Light bulbs and LED battery-op candles.
We keep the bathroom door shut almost 100% of the time and we ALWAYS keep the lid down.
General statement: Use care in your placement of furniture because you could be unwittingly giving access to places where they would get hurt.
Hope this helps! You have a huge community here, just full of advice. =)

 

[walli]

someone had mentioned that they have things to go around electrical cords so cats can't chew them
I wasn't paying attention it was just the other day if anyone remembers.
and there it is, sorry nine I was posting on top of yours I guess

 

[houseofnine]

Hi! How is Walli doing? Aimee is now sitting in the chair while my husband works on the computer. She likes him!

 

[walli]

Not much progress over here, I'm sensing a little calming tho.
I've decided to sit on the bed with her when I get home from work, even tho
she doesn't want me too, I figure it's the only way to do something.
She is on the 2nd tier of the cat tree getting her treats at night tho. I'm excited about that.
She is starting to be treat motivated, I do have a mix of treats, some are healthy, I don't want to over feed
her treats tho, but right now it's the only thing I got going for me.
any thoughts on the treats?

 

[EmmiTemmi]

Also you can buy these spools that have flexible silicone that go over them--it flips back, you wrap the cord, then you flip the silicone thing back. Look sort of like a flying saucer.

This is a fantastic suggestion, and I've just ordered some!

 

[mazie]

I just thought of something, can you just open up the blinds all the way up and leave them open while you are gone, or are your windows located in a position where everybody coming down the street can look into your home while you are out. Don't want that!