Pet-proofing the home room by room for a puppy or kitten

Before going into individual rooms it pays to adopt a simple and surprisingly effective method: get on all fours and look at each room from forty centimetres up. From there you see things invisible while standing, the cable behind the furniture, the small object under the sofa, the gap behind the washing machine. Anything reachable and small enough to fit in a mouth is a potential risk.

A second principle is space management: at first not all the home needs to be accessible. Gates, closed doors and a safe reference area reduce the surface to control and give you time to learn the animal's habits before opening the whole home to it.

The kitchen concentrates the worst risks because it combines three categories of danger: toxic substances, heat sources and unsuitable foods. It is also the room the animal follows people into, drawn by smells, so vigilance alone is not enough.

• Detergents, dishwasher tablets and disinfectants must be locked in a high cupboard or with a safety catch, never left under a reachable sink.
• The bin must have a closing lid or sit inside a cupboard: food scraps, bones and wrappers are a dangerous lure.
• Hobs, oven and hot pans must be protected by guarding access; many animals get burned jumping onto surfaces that are still scalding.
• Some common foods are toxic and must not be left within reach: always check before sharing leftovers, many foods harmless to us are not to them.
• Small objects such as caps, elastic bands, toothpicks and bags carry a risk of swallowing and choking: pick them up right after use.

The bathroom looks harmless but hides some of the most serious risks at home, because it is where medicines and harsh products are kept and where there are slippery surfaces and water containers.

Checking the drum before every cycle deserves to become an absolute habit, especially with cats, drawn to warm enclosed spaces. It is a two-second gesture that prevents one of the most dramatic and, sadly, not rare household accidents.

These are the rooms where the animal spends the most time and gets most bored, so where it looks for things to bite. The risks here are less obvious than in the kitchen but just as real, and are prevented by tidiness more than by supervision.

• Dangling electrical cables are a classic target for biting: gather them in trunking, fix them along skirting boards or protect them with cable sleeves.
• Curtain cords and blind pulls can cause strangulation: shorten them or fix them up high, out of reach.
• Small objects such as coins, buttons, hair ties, needles and pieces of children's toys are among the most frequent causes of swallowing.
• Many common ornamental plants are toxic to dogs and cats: check every species and, if in doubt, move it out of reach or remove it.
• Bedside drawers and bags on the floor often hold medicines, chewing gum and small objects: keep them closed and do not leave the bag on the floor.
• High sofas and beds are a fall risk for growing puppies: consider a ramp or limit access while they are unsteady.

For the animal left alone, boredom is the first risk factor: a bored animal chews whatever it finds. Leaving safe chew toys and suitable alternatives available reduces the pull towards cables and forbidden objects, and turns prevention into something active rather than merely restrictive.

The border spaces between home and outside concentrate two distinct risks: the fall from a height, particularly serious for cats, and the escape through doors and gates left open a moment too long. These accidents are fast and often irreversible, so they deserve physical barriers and not only attention.

1. 1

   Secure balconies and windows

   Install sturdy protective netting or screens on reachable balconies and windows. The myth of the cat that never falls is false: falls from a height are a frequent and serious emergency.

2. 2

   Create a buffer zone at the entrance

   A gate or a double door at the exit prevents a sudden escape when someone comes in or goes out. Especially useful at first and with skittish animals.

3. 3

   Check railings and openings

   Make sure the gaps between railing bars do not let the animal through and that there are no ways out towards stairwells or courtyards.

4. 4

   Ensure identification above all

   Despite every barrier, an escape can happen. A registered microchip with up-to-date contacts and, if possible, an ID tag are the safety net that brings the animal home.