Cat proofing your home combines controlling access with checking ordinary objects before using or closing them.
Walk through the home
Cats Protection recommends cable tidies for loose wires, putting loose objects away and restricting access behind appliances. Check windows, including tilt openings. Keep household products out of reach, guard open fires, separate cats from hot surfaces and close toilet lids.
Resolve access before use
Choose a screen, guard or barrier for its location and follow its instructions. Keep ventilation clear. Restrict access while suitability is unresolved. This checklist gives no universal opening size or attachment method.
RSPCA discusses locking arrangements for indoor cats where ventilation is needed. Resolve how the actual window will be secured; a partly open window is not evidence that a cat cannot pass through.
Check before closing or operating
Keep washer and dryer doors closed between uses, and look inside before running them. Check beneath a recliner before moving it.
RSPCA also advises checking sheds and similar buildings before closing them.
Tell everyone what changed
Agree who checks each area, who answers unresolved product questions and where the relevant instructions are kept. Tell visitors about any access restriction. After furniture moves or a new item arrives, revisit the arrangement together.
Use the cat care plan for broader household responsibilities. Outdoor enclosure construction needs a separate complete catio plan.
