Many people ask how we can have nine bobcats running loose in the house and it still look like a home. It is a creative process that requires preventing disasters and creating optical illusions. We don't own any plug in lamps. If it has a cord, the cord must be encased in pipe or securely pinned down by furniture. If it is made of glass or ceramic it must be super glued in place on the wall or shelf if you intend to keep it long. If it is made of fabric, then it better have a zipper and be sturdy enough for frequent washing. Exotic cats, no matter how tame, typically feel the need to hide and guard food, so they take it to where they feel safest; i.e. your bed or the couch. This way they can hide whatever they don't eat under the pillows.

There are a lot of things you just shouldn't have if you have wild cats in the house, such as: Live or silk plants, oriental rugs, anything made out of velvet or natural furs or hides, birds, rodents, small children, carpet or anything else that you don't intend to dispose of soon. If you must have some of these items then you will need to have some off limit areas. By off limits, I mean that the cat cannot possibly get to it, not that he is ever trained to stay away.

Catproofing a home is much like bringing home a new baby, only harder. To completely enjoy your new cat the following may not all be necessary, but it sure helps:

Rip out the carpets and install tile with a dark, narrow grout or vinyl.

Replace mini blinds and custom draperies with something you can wash monthly, or dark film.

Remove all hanging lamps and chandeliers and replace with flush mount globes.

Create safe room(s) for your computers, faxes, fine china, books, plants and anything else you are attached to.

Plug plastic protectors in all unused sockets (available at your hardware store) and put heavy furniture in front of all used outlets. Cats will spray urine into a socket at close range and electrocute themselves.

Pictures, plates and ornamentals should be glued or at least velcroed to the walls.

Kitchen appliances should be stored in cabinets when not in use. You don't want to see what a wild cat can do with an electric appliance that is still plugged in! That is especially true of appliances stored near sinks or tanks of water.

The laundry room is off limits to our cats because they will end up getting fluff dried, so we keep all toxins, cleaning agents, bug sprays, soaps, mops, brooms etc. in here. If you must store any toxic items in the house, then you will need to install child proof latches on the cabinets.

Keep all video games, tapes, players, remotes, radios (especially speaker wire) out of reach, which usually means in a cabinet.

If you will be living with a cougar or larger, you will need to install burglar bars on the windows.

No matter what kind of cat, your exterior doors should all be equipped with a safety gate, so that if the cat blows past you it will be confined to a cage. Never have both doors open at the same time and install a warning sign for those who may visit you to remind them.

Phones are best kept in drawers. The incoming line should be out of reach or tacked down and the spiraled cord to the hand set should not be left dangling.

Toilet paper should be kept under a protective hood or in a drawer, and paper towels are best suspended on a rack inside a cabinet.

Trade in that hand crocheted bed spread your mother in law gave you on your wedding day for something that can be washed...a lot. Feather pillows are definitely out.

Your dirty clothes will have to be carried to the laundry room immediately upon removal, or else you will need a cast iron hamper with a locking lid to keep the cat from eating your ripe underwear and socks.

You will probably need gate latches on your closet doors to keep the cats from eating your leather shoes, belts and coats. Empty hangers are a potential noose to any cat.

Remove ANYTHING that makes a V big enough for the cat to get his head in. A dishwasher door left standing partially open, a recliner with the foot rest kicked out, a fold out door on an entertainment center or desk, a flag mount, an oven door left open are all a potential for death. Exotic cats panic if their heads are caught and they are always snooping around and sticking them in things they shouldn't. Most of the above mentioned items are usually closed, so naturally the cat is going to mosey over and stick his head inside if he finds them open. The cat can be standing on all fours, stick his head in such a V type crack, and hang himself out of shear terror when he feels the slightest resistance. It is the weirdest cat trait that I have ever seen, but it is VERY common and often fatal.

Hot surfaces such as in the kitchen should be off limits because exotic cats don't seem to perceive the heat until it is too late. To see what you are doing the cat will jump up on the range, or pull over a boiling pot, just to see what is in it. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Freezers and refrigerators are another problem as cats soon learn where the food is kept and will help themselves, but they almost never shut the doors. In the process of finding something they like, they will pull everything else out as well. More than once I have had to double check to be sure that the cat was not in the freezer before shutting the lid.

Ceiling fans can be a problem if you have low ceilings or if you own a Jungle Cat who will spend all day trying to catch the whirling fan blades.

Drawer handles should be balls or the type that are closed on top and a ledge to pull underneath. When jumping off a piece of furniture or counter top, the cat will slide it's paws down vertically before kicking off and have gone as far as to break their leg because it slid down through the traditional half hoop style.

YARDS:

Must be escape proof. See CAGING and GREAT ESCAPES.

You can never assume that a cat just "wouldn't do such a thing". I have seen them try to chew up and swallow tacks, nails and glass. They can't digest this stuff so it's up to you to keep them safe.

Remove all poisonous plants and anything else you don't want eaten. See chapter on POISONOUS PLANTS.

Check carefully for sharp objects, especially anything that could be chewed or swallowed.

Remove all electrical cords, string, toxins, plastics and escape routes.

Clean the yard daily of feces and do not allow other animals in this yard.

Look for and remove all potential V's such as the V in a tree or bush or decorative items.

Treat area twice a month for fleas with a safe product. See Chapter on FLEAS.