Anyone who has ever spent an extended period of time with a cat knows they are notorious for finding the one single thing in the house that they should not touch, play with, or eat.
Sure, you can go out and buy countless toys of every size, style, and even flavor, and they can be thrown helter skelter anywhere and everywhere, but if by chance you inadvertently dropped a stray rubber band behind your desk in the corner of your home office, have no doubt that your cat will find it.
And sometimes, he or she will eat it.
There are a number of tips you should keep in mind to make sure your cat(s) do not find "toys" that can lead to an unexpected visit to the veterinarian.
Take a walk through your home and survey your surroundings.
Look for places your cat might go.
Look on all the shelves, high and low, cupboards, and nooks.
Look for anything the cat(s) might ingest and remove them immediately.
Use animal-safe insect repelant.
Commercial roach and ant poison will kill cats if ingested.
Cover electric cords with foam tubes that are available at Home Depot or Lowe's or elsewhere.
The tubes are too thick for a cat to chew through (unless he or she is really determined) Citrus scents are great for marking areas you want to be off-limits.
Cats hate the taste and/or scent of them.
Research the plants you have in your home and make sure they are not poisonous to cats.
Leaves are a favorite thing to bite and taste for cats.
Even if your plants are not poisonous, you might want to consider hanging them so they are out of reach.
If possible, try to keep your cat indoors at all times.
The outside world is filled with poisons, traps, hazardous materials, dangerous animals, fast cars, and mean people.
Anti-freeze is a total no-no.
Cats will want to lick it.
If possible, never let a cat in your garage.
There are just too many opportunities for trouble.
Based on my personal experience, do not keep any yarn, string, loose wires, ribbon, twine, or thin chains out.
Once a cat starts chewing on one, they are not eager to stop.
Fold and secure the chords from your hanging window blinds, and keep it out of your cat's reach.
As scary as it may seem, a cat can get tangled in them and be strangled.
Many cats love to eat paper so invest in covered wastebaskets and kitchen garbage containers.
Remove all breakable valuables (such as that antique porcelain clock grandma left you) from shelves and store them someplace or display them within a glass cabinet.
Always keep the door to your clothes dryer closed, and double-check inside before using it.
Cats like to find dark, warm places to sleep, and the results could be tragic.
Leaving office supplies and other small items around can lead to disastrous consequences.
Put all rubber bands, paper clips, thumb tacks, balloons, tinsel, and other small articles away in containers.
Protect your valuables.
In addition to securing antique clocks, glass vases, and more, you do not want to leave out any small jewelry such as rings, piercings, chains, bracelets, and anything that can fit in a cat's mouth.
Use child-safe fasteners for kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Cats can find all kinds of mischief inside.
Protect your furniture.
Cats will climb up on your couch, chairs, drapes, and everything else.
You cannot stop them.
This is what they do.
Consider covering your furniture with covers and blankets.
If you have wicker furniture there is not much advice to offer.
Chances are, your cat's claws will tear them apart in no time.
The best chance you have is to get your cat used to a scratch post for those times where they have the sudden urge to dig their claws into something that will give a bit.
The real secret to making your home cat proof is to look at your home through the eyes of a cat.
If there is any chance your cat can get to it, and it can be dangerous, do something about it.