In the meme universe, cats are famous for being fiercely independent and having their own opinions about things. This is not far from the truth, they see humans as their slow equal counterparts and love it when we give them attention conservatively. They love being left to their own devices and spaces but also love when showered with head scratches.
They are agile, jumpy, and curious by all means, and they love playing around high spots in the house. To ensure that this cute complicated furry baby is safe, there are a lot of things you can do. In return, you get unlimited cuddles and biscuits.
Here’s a comprehensive list of things you can do to protect your curious friend and your home:
- Manage your cat’s scratching. This doesn’t mean curbing it but just redirecting it to other places to protect your furniture. You can do this by buying scratching posts, covering your furniture with jute, or even trying scent based deterrents.
- Cat’s love vertical spaces that they can climb and explore. Build a window perch for bird watching and cat walks along the wall for exploration. Your cat’s natural instincts will divert them to these spaces and away from your furniture.
- Top heavy furniture needs to be secured properly. Anchor them to the wall to avoid accidental crashes on your cat.
- Encourage good behavior by giving them treats every time they skip the furniture for their perch or post. This positive reinforcement works even if you want to inculcate other good behaviors.
- Cats mostly groom themselves which sometimes leads to hairballs being spit out around the house. To avoid this, groom them yourself sometimes to reduce the amount of hair they ingest.
- Shedding is common amongst cats, more so in the furrier ones. Invest in a good vacuum and lint rollers to manage this. As mentioned above, regular grooming from your end will also reduce shedding. Speak to your vet, a good healthy diet also regulates this.
- Buy non-toxic litter for your cat to protect them in the case of accidental ingestion.
- Secure your windows properly and be vigilant about your main door. Cats are runners and will sprint out at every chance they get.
- Tape and secure loose cords and cables. Avoid leaving loose threads and rubber bands around the house, they tend to become choking hazards later on.
- Cats are curious creatures, so the viral videos you see of them toppling over objects is actually true. Keep breakable items and sharp objects away from cats as much as possible.
- A lot of objects from human lives are toxic to cats. This includes food items like chocolate and grapes, poisonous plants, and cleaning chemicals in your house. Remove anything you absolutely do not need, and securely hide what you do.
- Get in touch with your vet if you notice drastic changes in shedding or grooming habits.
- Last but not the least, get them a comfy bed and a lot of toys to keep them engaged and active. Your local pet store will have kitty safe toys your pet can play with safely.
Bringing home a cat is like having a miniature parkour enthusiast that likes to eat and scratch things. These cute little balls of fur don’t ask for much but add a lot of fun and color to our lives. Do your due diligence to provide a safe and secure home for them.
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