hi

basically, the 'safe room' for my kitten is my bedroom, because she is my cat. (this is because i was desperate for one, and no one else was that fussed, but eventually they said i could have one!! )

anyway, how can i make this room kitten proof? and excitable for my kitten? she's coming in 7 days!

i will put some pictures of my room in a minute. i have spent the day clearing up, taking things off floor, window sill, shelves etc

pictures are uploading on imgur cause their too big for the forum apparently!

thanks

http://imgur.com/TajhvUW,NHkjGfS,PfYGa8b,Zld5WYS - monkey door handle!

http://imgur.com/TajhvUW,NHkjGfS,PfYGa8b,Zld5WYS#1 - the window sill

http://imgur.com/TajhvUW,NHkjGfS,PfYGa8b,Zld5WYS#2 - top of piano

http://imgur.com/TajhvUW,NHkjGfS,PfYGa8b,Zld5WYS#3 - rest of room

Hi,

Lovely room. I think your guitars might be in danger! And are those dream catchers hanging by the window? He'll probably go after them and if you don't mind then it might be ok but I would check if the attachments might be something she could swallow or if the string might be eaten.

Also, the small items on various surfaces will most likely be knocked over but if you don't mind picking them up, no problem.

For wires what I do that seems to work is put a little undiluted dish liquid on my hand and run it down the cords. It definitely has saved me from any cord chewing incidents.

Dream catcher, mine lasted a whole 2 days before someone (Lilly) somehow got to it! That's now gone. Shame i had it for 10 years :(

Cat proof what you think needs to be done. If there's something you've missed, you will learn very quickly!

Cat proofing involves thinking like a cat and removing any dangers, things that will fall down on top of the cat, things that can be chewed eaten or swallowed. Things that are connected to electricity, which can be chewed or peed upon are particularly dangerous. Water and electricity don't mix well and cat urine is no different.

Hidey holes and corners, can also be places to pee. Kittens can squeeze themselves through all sorts of gaps so make sure any dangerous places are well blocked off. Anything stored under the bed can be an excellent thing to pee/poo on, as under the bed could be viewed as a giant covered litter box.
Is that mirror fixed to the wall? because if not it may well come down, due to the kitten jumping up on it, or burrowing under it. I would remove all clutter and put it away and leave clear areas, as anything left can be scratched, chewed or peed upon, the cat may bring it down on top of itself or it will be broken.

Sleeping in bed with a young kitten is not advised, as there have been kitten deaths reported when owners have rolled on top of the kitten.
If you think of something and then think "oh that won't happen", then think again as that is exactly what may happen, as cats and kittens are extremely resourceful and no area is out of bounds to a growing Bengal.

To add to what others have said (looks like your getting your kitten today or tomorrow?)

You might consider changing your bedding to something old and easily washable, and you might consider putting a plastic cover over the mattress (just in case). Kittens for some reason seem to find soft things that smell strongly of themselves, or their hooman, to be a great place to potty when they are confused. Probably because they are used to following the scent of their mum/littermates to a box and now that is gone. If you have anything down filled (pillow, comforter), remove that for the time being. Keep the fluffy things to a minimum, just your bed and maybe a simple small cat bed is all. Thats why bathrooms make great saferooms sometimes.

If you notice the kitten digging or circling or overly sniffing something, pick her up and take her to the box. Especially first thing in the morning upon waking, after a nap, after a long play session, or after a meal.

No open boxes or piles of clothes/blankets/coats/towels on the floor. Those are prime potty accidents. If you have a laundry hamper, make sure it has a lid or is put away elsewhere.

The lamp on your file cabinet, is that paper? If so, or if it looks like a kitten head can get inside, remove that for now. All knick knacks that can either be damaged by little teeth or could have something removed and swallowed by little teeth, wouldn't hurt to store them for now.

Anything with strings or loops dangling be careful of. I always take the cords for the blinds and tuck them up into the blinds (or put a small nail up high they can be hung to). If they are slated blinds, I keep them pulled up when I am not around so they can't get stuck in them accidentally.

Phew....getting a new kitten has always been a time of purging and de-cluttering in my house :). They are great motivators for that, lol.

Good luck!!!

Pictures are too big apparently :(

Putting pics on imgr and ill put some pics up of when she gets here too

Hi there I too am in the process of decluttering for my bengal (due to arrive in late June) and am wondering if bookshelves are safe with books on them as I have a lot of books and am too making my bedroom the 'safe room' , was also wondering what do you need to get before the kitten gets here and what can you figure out once you get to know them?

Any help and pictures would be great :-)

Thanks

If the bookcases are stable you are probably fine. Keep in mind, they will likely climb up the front of them (or as high as they can jump), so as long as they won't tip forward you are good. They make devices you can attach large furniture or TV's to the wall to prevent tipping if there is a concern.

I would have a litter box, the same litter that the breeder uses (if possible), food the breeder feeds, simple washable cat bed, couple of cat toys (nothing with parts they can chew off for young kittens), and a tree or at minimum a scratcher.

Food/water bowls are up to you, avoid plastic if you purchase something (something washable and non porous), and don't get those connected water/food bowls, pain in the keester as the food always ends up in the water.

Toys wise, you want something they can wrestle and kick (to distract those kitten teeth and claws should they think your feet or hands are fun to grab), something to interact with them (like maybe a wand toy). Prefer no catnip at this age, but not a big deal. Balls on a track are usually a fun kitten activity, a crinkle tunnel. I would say of every little cat toy I buy, my cats have about a 10% chance of actually liking it, lol. So paper balls, milk jug rings, and straws get more airtime then anything. When I fostered kittens, when they were super young everything was fun fun, but as they grew they became more discerning.

Kittens kittens :)

Thank you for the advice! I adore your channel and am always waiting for updates on your kitties, Mia is just adorable! I will have to de clutter my books then as they are precariously balanced on my bookshelf which itself is quite stable so that's ok :-) all my furniture is either attached to the wall or too heavy to be topped over so should be ok :-) I will make sure to get her a big cat tree and a nice cosy bed I have been told they like to be inside things so maybe an enclosed bed would be nice? Here is a picture of my baby, I don't know much about rosettes and things so I am not quite sure how she will turn out when she's older but I am sure she will be gorgeous! :-)

Thanks again!