Bathrooms can be hazardous places for adventuresome kittens. Keep cleaning supplies locked up and toilet lids down. Dental floss, rubber bands, hair ties and any string like material needs to be stashed away from curious kittens—they can ingest these and cause life threatening intestinal problems. Kitchen cleaning supplies need to be kept out of reach of kittens. Plastic six pack beverage holders and plastic bags need to be discarded properly as kittens can get tangled and injured in these things. Keep sewing supplies locked away including needles, pins and thread/yarn. Kittens can and will play with these hazardous things which can kill them if ingested. Keep houseplants away from kittens, as some of them can be toxic. If you aren’t sure if your plant is or isn’t look on-line. Kids toys made of soft material (foam, rubber) are kitty magnets—they can chew and ingest small bits leading to serious stomach issues. Human medication should always be kept safely out of reach. Electric cords are fun for kittens to chew on; not so fun on their health with the chance for electrocution if it is bit through to the wires. Windows make fun spots for the kitten to look out. Make sure you have sturdy screens or keep the windows closed tight. Blind or curtain strings and ties can strangle a kitten if it gets caught up on them. Shorten them or remove them. Put any toxic items, such bleach, rat or mice bait, lye, etc. , locked away where a kitten cannot get into them and bit at the packaging. Kittens love to crawl into tiny spots—look around and see if there are any dangerous spots (crawl spaces, spaces around pipes running into or out of house, sump pump holes) and block them if possible.
You can also use Feliway a product with pheromones–chemicals that cat’s produce to communicate with and calm other cats. This comes in various forms such as a spray, wipes, collar or a diffuser.
Before you get the kitten, think where you are going to put its bed. Do not make it sleep on your bed for the first month because it isn’t quite used to you yet and it will be uncomfortable, or it might fall off.
Place a layer of litter, whatever brand you choose, in the bottom of the box. You may want to use a rug, newspaper, or a bed protector pad under the box to catch any litter that sticks to the kitten’s paws.
The litter box should be placed near the basket for now. As the kitten gets used to the home, it can be gradually moved to a more preferred location for you but for now a tiny kitten needs easy access to her box.
When the kitten does come out, gently pick it up and place it in the litter box to give it an opportunity to go to the bathroom. If the kitten doesn’t go, at least it will know there is a litter box for it use.
After a while, try playing with the kitten but don’t force it to do anything it doesn’t want to do. It should come out soon enough, and don’t panic if it comes out of the pet carrier and hides under something. Let the kitten explore the room. It will have a lot of sniffing to do.
