Preparing for new MC

**Victoria Sinton** · 17th April 2013, 09:57 AM

So it's a little over a week until Chiyo gets to come home (god its flown by I'm so EXCITED) so this weekend if official "Kitten proofing weekend" so I was wondering if I could get some advise on things to look out for/ things I can do to make her comfortable and confident when she gets here and how quickly I should open up the whole house to her. I'll be doing a massive tidy up on the weekend finding a new system for the blinds cable so its tucked away, tidying up cables and checking for and small holes i may have previously missed. I'm not sure what to do about the litter box as well it was initially going to live with her in the living room until I opened up everything else but then I'm worried moving it to the bathroom would then confuse her so should I just open up the living room and bathroom straight away so that the box is always in the bathroom and is less likely to cause accidents.

**jckkerrison** · 17th April 2013, 01:14 PM

If her litter tray is going to be in the bathroom full time then yep start it off there,felines are very clever & as long as you show her where it is & she can get into it then you should have no problem,our cats have their own room {where the trays are also}so normally have that room & sitting room door open all the time from the start,to begin with you will find that there are more hidey places then you could ever imagine even if it is only the one room,don't overcrowd her let her find her own paws,some are straight in & down others take a bit longer,give her a couple of beds but don't be surprised if she uses neither & a nice little box with toys in that she can have a root about to find what will become her favourite play thing. I do envy you there is nothing like having a furry babe join the family,I have been lucky enough to go through having several of them & oh boy the time wasting never alters,each one you marvel at just how wonderful they are & as their personality grows so does the love for them,enjoy....xxx

**Victoria Sinton** · 22nd April 2013, 03:13 PM

Thanks for the advice! I'll probably give her access to the living room, hallway and bathroom straight away so everything is where it is normally going to be then open up the bedroom and the side room late on. Built her Kitty City tree yesterday (pics when i get back from work). Now just need to try hide all the wires for the TV etc. but I'm not sure how successful that will be :P just have to hope she doesn't find them fascinating or this could get very complicated!

**Alekto** · 22nd April 2013, 06:11 PM

whatever you do, don't leave your really expensive wireless phone headset out in the open, those nasty monsters can chew stuff. Also they have a habit of going over the shelves and checking of things that can fall. The rule is: if it can be pushed off a shelf, it shouldn't be on it, and kitty will help making sure that rule is followed to the letter - some rules, kitty likes. Seriously, you should have seen our house after Hurricane Neevie first went through it!

**donnad** · 22nd April 2013, 08:18 PM

It is so exciting getting a kitten! My only advice is to keep you laptop closed when not using it! Ginger has adjusted my setting several times and may have sent out a few emails

She is always knocking things off our desks, so now we try and keep the office door closed when it is not in use! Good luck and have fun with the new kitten!

**Felix65** · 22nd April 2013, 08:42 PM

its a great feeling,but a nervous one in the early days,maxwell had our optical cable out of our tv which is on the wall

**Chris** · 22nd April 2013, 08:43 PM

I am so excited for you ! I am new and awaiting my baby to also trying to get things right and the replies you have had I have taken heed of to. I cant offer you advise cos this is a steep learning curve for me to but I am excited for you. Hope we see plenty of pics when Chiyo comes home. x

**KimAZ** · 23rd April 2013, 04:11 AM

I'm so excited for you! My tips: Do not leave valuable rings, earrings etc on your vanity unattended - they like to claim shiny things as their own (ask me how I know!). Keep toilet seats down. Ditto about keeping laptops, iPads and desktop keyboards protected from curious paws. Keep your camera ready. Be prepared to laugh at something new everyday!

**CatsMom** · 24th April 2013, 08:58 AM

Can't wait to see pictures! Beware of leaving any food out, wrapped or unwrapped. If Chiyo can reach it, she may eat it. Our guy loves to eat 1st then decide if it's edible or not and if he likes it or not. He'll also be there in a blink eating whatever we've dropped before it hits the floor.

Check out the "Dear Cat, Some House Rules..." thread under the "Off Topic Area" of the Forum. This may also answer questions about what the little furball can get into. There are a ton of posts in the thread, which may seem overwhelming, but it's good reading and provides belly laughs.

Best wishes.