Hi there,

We will be taking in a Bengal kitten within the next two months and have began kitten proofing the house; we've managed to resolve the issue of a sooty kitten by getting some 'Chimney Balloons' and some wire mesh - hopefully this will prevent kitten getting into the chimney!

However, this is now the least of our worries - we live in a 3 story townhouse with a stair case that goes back on itself (can provide pictures if required) all the way up. There is one little gap between the stair case and a sash window that we can block off with some netting/wood so that bits OK. The bit that worries me is the gap between the banister rails - from the very top room there's a drop all the way down to the bottom.

For the first week to two weeks the kitten will be sleeping in our bedroom and then during the day if we're not around (I work 9 - 6 with an hour lunch; luckily work is pretty much across the road from where I live so can spend lunch at home and my girlfriend works shift work) it will have the lounge (which is pretty big) to roam around with a scratching post and assorted toys, litter tray water etc etc)

When we are around we plan to heavily supervise the kitten whilst letting it roam the house a little more. I know that when the kitten is older and bigger it won't be able to fit through the gaps (and a little bit more stable on its feet), but up until that point I'm getting a little worried that it will try and investigate the stairs a little more and be too fast for us to prevent an accident.

I've seen some plastic rail guards you can attach, but I'm really wondering if we're over considering all of this

Any advice suggestions would be really appreciated.

Cheers,

D

Whilst I would advise doing everything you can to make it secure, cats do have a healthy dose of common sense. I have an open backed stair case with one side open besides the rail - I was worried about this at the start, but although my bengals enjoy taking the short cut jumping up through the stair case, they have never fallen through by mistake or jumped downwards through it.

Dont fret too much. Just like Isabella has said - cats and kittens do have some common sense and a sense of fear.
I used to live in a 3 storey house which had an open drop all the way down. The kittens didn't go near it. Its when they get bigger and fatter and lie on the banisters or in the case of my idiot of a cat who attempts on a regular basis to walk up the banister - he'll learn one day that he cant walk up hill on a narrow shiny piece of painted timber.

Thanks both for the replies; it is comforting to know I'm probably worrying too much about this!

Cheers,

D