Before bringing your kitten home, ensure that the following are out of harm's way:
• Loose wires
• Balls of string, wool, thread, rubber bands - if swallowed, these can wind around the gut
• Needles, pins – kittens will chew and eat anything!
• House plants - cats often treat them as a salad bar, but many are poisonous. Poinsettia, Azalea, Dieffenbachia, Mistletoe, Ivy, Figs, Asparagus Fern, Philodendron, Umbrella Plant, all Cherry varieties, Chrysanthemums, Amaryllis, Sansaveria, most bulbs, Virginia Creeper, Privet, Lily of the Valley, Horse Chestnut and Laburnum are all poisonous.
• Household products that the cat could eat or drink - e.g. bleach, antifreeze (cats like antifreeze because it tastes sweet!), cleaning products etc.
• Chocolate! (Chocolate is highly toxic to cats, and even a small amount can be lethal.)
• Also check for small spaces that the kitten could get into - small kittens are all would-be Houdinis, and can squeeze into surprisingly small, usually inconvenient, places. Behind the washing machine or kitchen cupboards is always popular, or under any piece of furniture with a gap of more than 5 inches or so. Be aware that your kitten will investigate open chimneys, open doors and windows. It can escape and disappear through the smallest crack and may get shut in a drawer or cupboard. The airing cupboard is a favourite hiding place and the results can be disastrous after a few hours with no litter tray. Kittens often creep away under low furniture, kitchen units or electrical appliances.
• All of the following have been the cause of death and serious injury to kittens and young cats: front and top loading washing machines, tumble driers, electric flexes that can be chewed, hot stoves, water tanks, garden pools, toilets with open lids (you don't want to fish your kitten out from the U-bend), hot baths, irons and the tops of storage heaters.
• Never give a cat any drugs that have not been prescribed for
it; many human drugs are poisonous to cats. Seek veterinary advice immediately
if you suspect any form of poisoning