You finally got a cat after thinking about it for some time. You’re probably excited about welcoming this animal to your house, which is good, but there are a few things you need to do before your feline arrives. The following are some things you can do to prepare your home for your new pet.
Carpet Snipping
The first thing you want to do is inspect your carpet before your cat arrives. You’re looking for loose threads. Hopefully, you don’t find any, but if you do, you want to snip those away.
You’re doing this to keep your cat safe. Your feline will find this thread at some point and will probably unravel it. If this happens, your cat may swallow it, and that could put your pet in danger, so take care of this before your pet arrives.
Getting the Materials
The next thing you want to do is have all the kitty materials you need. This includes things like toys for your cat, but it also includes things like a scratching post or a good litter box.
There are various types of litter boxes and scratching posts, so try to find the items that best fit your home. Of course, you might miss a thing or two, but this is your first cat. You’ll have a chance to add to your collection of cat-related items in your home, but at least you’re off to a good start.
Check the Wiring
It’s important to inspect electrical wiring throughout your home. You shouldn’t see any loose wires anywhere. You can imagine how dangerous a loose wire can be for your pet. Look at your cords, too, and make sure they are tucked away so that your cat can’t access them.
You don’t want your new pet to scratch or bite these wires and electrical cords. If you need to, you can just tape some of these to keep them safe and tucked away from your cat. You can also find clips at the store that can help with this. Try to be as thorough as you can. Go ahead and double-check your home if you need to.
Look for Small Hazards
Take the time to look for smaller hazards that could be around your house. You don’t want to see toys that your cat could choke on. You also don’t want to see pest traps. Many homeowners try to keep pests away by placing traps throughout their homes.
While these may be effectively keeping pests away, they could also pose a danger to your kitty. These creatures are very curious, and if they see a trap, they may try to play with it. For example, the glue on mousetraps is usually toxic and can stick to your pet’s fur. Other poisonous traps could hurt your cat as well.
Remove Harmful House Plants
The next thing you have to do is remove toxic house plants. A lot of common house plants could hurt your curious kitty.
Peace lilies are the most common flowering plants in households, and if your cat eats it, then your cat could deal with all sorts of issues. Your cat could vomit or even have trouble breathing. Try to find out if the plants around your home will be safe for your cat before your feline arrives.
Address Curtains and Fabrics
Cats can climb, and sometimes, they’ll use fabrics and curtains to do so. The problem is that these aren’t safe for them, especially if you haven’t secured them. If you have curtains around your house, it’s wise to tie these up so that your cat doesn’t try to jump on them.
If you like to hang fabrics around your house, then it would be a good idea to remove those before your cat arrives. Alternatively, you could just anchor these fabrics, but you have to make sure they are anchored enough to support your kitty should it be that curious.
Now, you know what to do to get your house ready for your new cat. It may seem like a lot to do. You can just break everything down into simple steps, and you’ll finish in no time.