How Can You Make your House Safer for your Cat?

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 22 December, 2022

Cats are lively, curious animals. They’re always ready to explore every nook and cranny of the house, and are constantly discovering new things. However, it is precisely this curiosity that can put them in danger. So, to avoid that, it’s important to take some precautions to make your house safer for your cat.

To start with, make sure you move things that might be dangerous for them out of the way. For example, plants are a great risk for our pets, as many of them are poisonous for them.

How to make your house safer for your cat

• Some appliances like washing machines, dryers and dishwashers should always have their doors shut. A kitten will see something hollow, like a box, and immediately want to climb inside. To avoid an electric shock or other accidents at home, and to make your house safer for your cat, it’s best to keep the doors of these appliances closed.
• Curtains. Our cats will think that the curtains are there for them to climb. However, curtains won’t be able to support their weight since they’re not made for that!
• Cables are very dangerous. You have to take extreme care to keep cables behind the sofa, chairs, furniture, etc.
• Small objects. Small objects intrigue cats. Because of that, it’s important that you don’t draw the cat’s attention to them. Some examples are rings, jewels, and other valuables.
• Cleaning products. Some of the most dangerous things that cats can ingest are cleaning products and chemicals. For example, insecticides, detergents, and antifreeze, which are toxic to them. To make your house safer for your cat, you should never leave these products in easily accessible areas.

Some guidelines for your cat at home

Our feline friends need more than just good food. To keep them happy, they need to be busy and they need stimuli that will help develop their intelligence. Although it may require a lot of time, effort and money to care for our cats, they’re certainly worth it. They’ll repay us with affection and cozy cuddles all the time. Just like the saying goes, when it comes to cats, giving is receiving.

The first thing to take into account when it comes to keeping your cat happy is to make sure they have enough space. Although cats can adapt well to life indoors, they’ll want to have access to a lot of different rooms.

Cats have the ability to transform the most surprising areas of the house into a comfortable feline bed. So, chairs, drawers, the inside of closets and even the sink can be used as a resting place by these intelligent felines.

Very catlike nature

Owners have to understand the character of their feline friend in order to know how to make their cat happy. That’s why it’s always a good idea to give your cat at least two beds. These should be placed at different heights.

One of them could be on the floor with a roof and three sides (even a simple cardboard box would work). Then, you could put the second bed up higher, but make sure the cat can still get to it.

Our cats also need a litter box to stay clean. This should be large enough for the cat to be able to do his business comfortably. You should also put it in an out-of-the-way location in order to ensure his privacy. It’s a good idea to keep it away from exterior windows or glass doors. This will keep him out of sight of other cats and felines that may look in from the outside.

A balcony with views

It’s important for cats to get some natural light. To do that, make sure he has a safe terrace or balcony, protected with screens, where some natural light can enter the house. However, be sure that he can’t escape, hurt himself or get lost.

This area will be perfect for our friend, as he’ll be in direct sunlight. In addition to that, he’ll be able to hear the noises outside and smell the odors. At the same time, he’ll be protected from insects and other small animals.

They love plants

Most cats have a special attraction to catnip, a plant with a mint-like aroma. Often, felines are seen jumping or running around after chewing this plant.

Scratchers in the home

House cats will need something to scratch, in order to trim their nails and eliminate stress. They will also use them to leave visual and fragrant signs to the rest of the cats in the house. That’s why it’s important to have a scratcher in your house. You can even make your own very easily.