How to Cat-proof Your Home During a Weekend Getaway

Cat owners who are planning a weekend getaway are not just thinking of the luxury of getting away from it all for a couple of days. They are also thinking of what they will find when they get back home. What state will their home be in? In order to feel comfortable about a weekend getaway, you will need to cat-proof your home so that your best china is not smashed into a million pieces.

Hide the China

When you are planning a weekend getaway, now is not the time to pull out your best china and to display it. Hide the china, or better yet, display it in a cabinet well away from kitty's eager, yet clumsy grasp. The last thing you will want to do is deal with smashed china all over the floor and shards of glass embedded in kitty's feet, as she stepped in the glass.

Stow the Toilet Paper

If your cat is anything like mine, she will play with the toilet paper and slowly unravel it, until it falls into a large heap on the bathroom floor. Many cats will not stop there and will continue to wreak havoc by tearing toilet paper into shreds, so that you cannot even use the toilet paper upon your return. Unless your cat needs access to the bathroom (to get to the litter tray) shut the door or remove the toilet paper from the holder and stow the toilet paper while you are gone. With temptation taken away, there will not be anything for the cat to play with.

Hide Children's Toys

No matter how many toys are in kitty's overflowing toy box, she will still eye your children's stuffed toys, dolls and action figures. Do yourself (and your children) a favour by hiding your children's toys so that you do not come home only to find their toys torn to pieces or lying dunked in the cat's water bowl. Keeping bedroom doors securely shut can help prevent this problem. Reminding your children to put their toys away will also ensure there is nothing that slips through the net and into kitty's grasp.

A weekend getaway is a great way to relax and recharge your batteries. But if you are a cat owner, one of the first thins on your mind will be how to effectively cat-proof your home. Properly cat-proofing your home will ensure you come back to find your home as you left it, rather than a heaping mess that needs to be cleaned up.

More from this contributor:

How to Effectively Discipline Cats.

The Disadvantages of Letting Your Cats Roam Freely at Home.

The Pros of Letting Cats Roam Freely at Home.