Kittens are curious creatures by nature. They love to roam around and explore their surroundings even at an early age. But, when exactly is the right time to let them roam the house at night?
Ideally, the right time to let your kitten roam the house at night is when it’s already been litter trained and fully accustomed to its surroundings. There is no guaranteed time frame as getting your kitten settled in is a gradual process.
Kittens are such a joy to have around, but as with any other young animal, they need to be protected and guided until they get the hang of things. With this, here are some tips on how to help your kitten adjust to its new environment.
Risks of Letting Your Kitten Roam at Night
You need to be aware that giving your kitten the freedom to roam around the house does carry its risks. Although it is relatively safer indoors than outdoors, there are still many potential dangers lurking inside your home.
You will be amazed at the trouble these tiny spunky fluff balls can get into.
1. Litter accidents around the house
One of the top risks of letting your kitten roam around the house at night on its own is having litter accidents all over your place. This is why it is crucial to have your fuzzy little bundle of love litter trained before allowing it to roam alone.
Typically, kittens are litter trained by the time they are 4 to 6 weeks of age. So, it really might take some time before your kitten gets the hang of using its litter box and eventually roam around your home alone.
2. Your kitten might get stuck in tight spaces.
Kittens are naturally inquisitive fluff balls and can easily find themselves stuck in the most unlikely of places. Since they’re pretty tiny and have awfully flexible bodies, they can find themselves trapped in tight nooks and crannies around your home.
It is very important to have your home kitten-proofed before allowing your tiny buddy to roam and explore the house. We’ll discuss more about kitten-proofing your home in a bit.
3. Your kitten might get lost.
Being the natural explorers that they are, kittens love to survey their surroundings and can easily get lost in the process. If you have a huge home, it may be difficult for you to find them in the morning.
Again, kitten-proofing your home is essential to prevent them from finding their way outdoors. It’s also advisable to keep your kitten in a confined space first to prevent it from going astray.
Precautions Before Letting Your Kitten Roam
In order to keep your tiny feline friend safe and secure, you’ll want to take extra precautions before finally letting it roam around the house alone at night. Here are some of them:
1. Kitten-proof your home
Kittens love to climb, play, and explore anything they come across with, so it’s important to make your home a safe haven for your pet. Your house is full of potential risks, so arm yourself with these simple measures to avoid untoward incidents.
Look for all possible hiding spots in your home, so you’ll know where to find your kitten once it goes missing.
Locate all potential escape routes around your home and secure it. All your windows and doors should close tightly. You should also make sure that all screens around your home fit snugly in their frames. This is also to ensure that your kitten won’t find its way outside of the house.
Put all your prized fragile items away from your kitten’s reach. Kittens are gifted with crazy acrobatic skills, so they might knock your precious collectibles by accident.
Wind up all cords and keep other dangling enticements secure. Trust me, you don’t want to keep your kitten entangled on those. It’s also best to keep them away to prevent your kitten from chewing on them.
Place all house plants out of your kitten’s way and discard all poisonous plants such as lilies, aloe vera, daffodils, sago palm, azaleas, and tulips.
Install child-proof locks on cabinet doors to prevent your kitten from exploring it.
2. Keep your kitten in a confined space.
Letting your kitten roam freely around the entire house right away is a recipe for disaster. It’s better to have a confined and controlled space for them to move around until they get completely settled in.
Gradually expand their space as they get familiarized with your home until it gets to the point when you no longer have to put boundaries.
Once they are fully accustomed, there’s no reason they can’t handle a much larger space—be it vertical or horizontal. Just make sure to get rid of all household hazards first.
3. Give your kitten a collar with a bell.
Collars with tiny bells attached to it come in really handy especially for frisky kittens. Being the energetic and inquisitive creatures that they are, kittens can easily get trapped in tight spaces around the house.
This type of collar can help you keep tabs on your kitten and track its whereabouts at home—think of it as an old school GPS. Apart from being functional, belled collars also look so adorable on kittens.
4. Introduce your kitten to other members of the household.
Apart from getting your feline friend accustomed to their new space, you also need to get your kitten familiarized with all the members of the household—and that includes other pets you may have at home.
Just make sure to keep a close eye when introducing your kitten to other pets. Expose them to each other for short periods each day and repeat until they are used to each other’s presence at home.
Letting Your Kitten Roam at Night
To wrap up, kittens are natural explorers, so letting them roam around the house is necessary for their wellness and development. However, make sure that your kitten is already litter trained and familiar with your home before allowing it to roam freely on its own.
Be patient as your new kitten adjusts to its new surroundings. It may take weeks or months, but soon enough, your tiny furry friend will be well adapted and feel so much at home.
Related Questions
What age should kittens be allowed to roam the house?
There is no fixed age as to when kittens should be allowed to roam the house on their own. They can only be allowed to roam the house alone once they have already been litter trained and familiarized with your home.
How do you leave a kitten alone?
It is important to spend a couple of minutes with your kitten before leaving it alone. Make sure to have someone look after your kitten when going out of the house for more than a couple of hours.
Should I let my kitten sleep in my room at night?
There’s nothing wrong with letting your kitten sleep in your room at night. Whatever your sleeping preference is, just make sure to avoid switching up your kitten’s sleeping arrangements because they are too sensitive to change.
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