Home is where the cat is. And in a home with a feline occupant, the cat is everywhere, including nooks and crannies that the human residents may not have even known existed. Thus, you need to make sure that your multi-species domicile is safe for kitty, so she can play, primp, and purr in peace—and you can have peace of mind.

This article focuses on many—though not all—common locations in homes that are likely to pose risks to cats. By being aware of these danger spots and knowing how to make them safer and/or prevent your cat’s access to them, you can help keep your feline companion healthy and happy in her indoor territory.

Fireplace

A cat reposing by the fireplace is a classic and relaxing scene. Keep it that way by always having a sturdy screen around the fireplace. Never leave kittens unsupervised in a room where there is a fire going.

Stove

Do not leave the stove unattended when in use.

Kitchen Counter

To a cat, the kitchen counter beckons. It’s elevated, it may have interesting foods available for sampling, it’s often near a window, and a favorite human may be stationed there. But kitchen counters may also be fraught with dangers: many foods that are fine for humans are harmful to cats; there may be knives on the counter; the counter may be adjacent to the stove—and you don’t want your cat to get into the habit of venturing over to the stove area even if it is off.

For feline-and human-approved solutions to keeping cats off kitchen counters, see “How to Keep Your Cat off the Kitchen Counter”.

Refrigerator

Do a quick scan of the refrigerator before closing the door, especially if your cat has been known to jump inside to investigate. Note that kittens may be harder to spot because of their small size, and more likely to check out the refrigerator contents due to their hyper-curiosity.

Ironing Board

An iron on an ironing board in a house with a cat is an accident waiting to happen. Ironing boards are notoriously unsteady; all it takes is a small jostle for the iron to fall off and hit kitty. Store irons in a secure spot—not on the ironing board—when not in use. Never leave hot irons unattended.

Cabinets

Cabinets can be dangerous for cats mainly for two reasons: what’s stored in them, and the potential to be trapped in them.

On the second point, after you’ve had a cabinet open, check to make sure you where kitty is. You’d be surprised—or maybe not—at how quickly and quietly a cat can sneak into an open counter. This is doubly true for kittens and small cats.

If you have anything in a cabinet that might be hazardous for cats, such as liquids and sprays used for cleaning, or that you don’t particularly want to be covered with cat fur, such as pots and pans, shut cabinet doors as soon as you’re done using the cabinet. For extra safety, use child-proof locks. Is it ok for kitty to have a quick investigative snoop of the cookware cabinet? We won’t tell if you don’t.

Closets

As with cabinets, closets pose two main dangers: the contents of the closet and the ease with which one can close the closet door with a kitty still inside. When bringing home dry-cleaning, dispose of the clear plastic around the clothes before hanging them in the closet. Mothballs can be highly toxic; safer alternatives include cedar blocks (sand regularly to maintain effectiveness), lavender sachets, dry cleaning, running items through a hot drier, and storing garments in airtight plastic containers during the off-season. Also note that unlike wool, acrylic is essentially moth-proof.

Children’s Rooms

If you have young children, endeavor to buy toys that are both cat-safe and baby- or toddler-safe: no small removable parts, no strings that are detachable or easy to break off, and so forth. Be scrupulous about putting toys away and teach your children to do the same, for everyone’s safety.

Home Offices

If your cat has a tendency to chew wires, cover the wires to safeguard against shock. You can buy conduits made for this purpose in most home supply stores and many electronics stores. Always unplug the paper shredder when not using it.

Garage and Utility or Laundry Room

These rooms usually contain toxic substances and should be off-limits to kitty, with the possible exception of short excursions that are carefully chaperoned by a responsible human. Promptly clean up all spills. If the washer and drier are in the utility room, always shut the door—after you’ve validated that kitty is out of the room—when using either of those two appliances.

Drier

A drier door with warm clothes and an open door may be an inviting place for a cat. Unfortunately it’s all too easy for someone to casually shut the door and not see that there’s a kitty inside. Make it a strict habit to never leave the drier door open. In addition, before starting the drier, always make sure that no animals have crawled in while you weren’t looking.

Washer

Though cats generally eschew water, they like to bundle up in piles of clothes. Ensure that there are no stowaway kittens in your clothes when you put them in the washing machine. Don’t rely on a quick visual inspection; also feel around before starting the washer or drier.

Bathrooms

The age-old debate has been settled if you have a kitten: keep the lid to the toilet down. Kittens can fall in the toilet. You may as well be safe and keep the lid down regardless of the age of your cat.

All medicines and cleaning formulas must be safe from the dexterous paws, claws, and teeth of a curious kitty.

Balconies

Cats fall off balconies so frequently that the condition is called “high-rise syndrome” by emergency veterinarians. Cats should not be allowed on balconies. It can happen so quickly: A cat gets caught up in the moment and leaps after a bird or squirrel. Railings offer little protection; cats can fall through them or slip under them, or can jump on top of them.

Close the door leading to the balcony at all times when not using it. Do not put your cat’s scratching posts, food bowl, or bed near the balcony, and do not play or have fun times with your cat near the balcony—do give your cat positive associations with the balcony area or any reason to hang out near the balcony.

And no, cats do not always land on their feet, and even when they do, the impact from a long fall can be crippling or fatal.

Windows

All windows should have sturdy screens. Patch or repair window screens that have holes. A few well-placed scratches and kitty could make the hole wide enough for her to fit through. Her silent escape could occur in the middle of the night—and it might be a long time before you even figure out what happened. You may also want to replace flimsy screens on kitty’s favorite windows with heavier models.

Curtains and blinds can be extremely dangerous if they have looped cords. Cats—especially kittens—can hang themselves on the loop at the end of the cord. Cut all looped cords or replace them with cords that do not have looped handles.

Do a “Cat’s Perspective” Audit of Your Home

To get an idea of all the places in your home that your cat may discover, first get down on your hands and knees and look around each room. You may be surprised at all the tight spaces and passageways available for investigation by a curious kitty. Determine whether each of these locations is safe for a cat, and if not, seal them off or modify them so that they don’t pose a hazard. Then do the same thing but standing up and searching for all the places—including high-up coves and shelves—that a cat can reach through jumping.

Do Frequent “Kitty Checks”

It’s ten o’clock—do you know where your cats are? If you haven’t seen kitty in a while, make sure she’s ok. If you’ve just been opening and closing doors to closets, cabinets, the drier, the washing machine, out-of-bounds rooms, or the not-always-so-great outdoors, that’s an ideal time to do a kitty check, and affirm that all feline family members are safe and accounted for. Other opportune times to do a kitty role call are when you’ve been particularly busy or when you have guests who may not know all the cat-related rules of the house (even after you’ve told them) or who may have cat-unsafe habits such as holding the front door open.

“Do This, Not That.”

A general cat-friendly way to redirect your cat toward safe alternatives when she is headed toward a danger zone is to do this two-step approach:

• First dissuade kitty from going to the verboten area by clapping your hands, saying “No!” in your startling-but-not-frightening “bad kitty” voice.
• Then offer kitty a human- and feline-acceptable alternative. For instance, if kitty is approaching the drier, after getting her attention and telling her she can’t go there, offer her a recently-worn shirt on which to lay or move a favorite bed to a sunny spot, or see if she wants chase a catnip toy.

In this way, kitty doesn’t get frustrated and harbor pent-up energy, which can result in aggressive release mechanisms. Instead, she learns that there is always a Plan B that meets with her and your approval.

Extra Risk Factors for Kittens

Because of their small size and frequent explorations, kittens have a higher potential for getting into perilous situations. Be extra-vigilant and precautionary with kittens; there is an added level of urgency in “cat-proofing” your home when you share it with kittens.