Did you know that 80% of Canadian households have pets, and the most popular type of pet is a cat? In 2022, there were around 8.5 million cats in the country. There are many reasons to choose a cat for a pet.
Cats are independent. Compared to dogs, cats are quite happy with their own company and don’t need as much attention from their humans as dogs do. As independent creatures, cats are low maintenance and don’t require a lot of living space.
Cats help lower stress and prevent loneliness. According to research, cats are one of the best therapy animals as these loving and affectionate creatures can calm us, lower our stress levels, and promote overall healing just with their quiet purr.
Despite being known for their bad reputation of being aloof and headstrong, every cat has a unique personality that can make life a little less stressful just with their presence. And like every other animal, there are things at home that can harm our furry friends.
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How to Pest-Proof Your Home for a Happy & Healthy Kitty
Sometimes, it’s inevitable to have pests at home. Even with religious cleaning, pests can still find their way in because of climate changes and the natural wear and tear of some parts of your house. But, you can do something to protect your pet cat against pests.
Set a Cleaning Schedule
Cleanliness is crucial. This is the most basic move in combating not only pests, but also in achieving a light and happy disposition. You don’t need to clean your bedroom daily.
Just set your own regular cleaning routine. Of course, high-traffic areas like the kitchen, dining room, bathroom and workshop rooms should be cleaned more frequently.
Regularly clean your cat’s bed, including any custom-made cat trails you built indoors. Of course, keep your cats well-groomed and bring them to the vet for health checks.
Potty train your cat to maintain a clean and odor-free house. Cat scat stinks to human noses, but is very attractive to pests. Avoid throwing the poop in garbage bins. Instead, bury them in the soil. This enriches the earth and makes your plants healthier. Circle of life.
Fix Whatever Leaks
Have you seen a nature scene where all kinds of wild animals gather around a watering hole? That’s an amazing proof that water is life. And, like it or not, water attracts every living creature, including pests.
So, if you have leaky faucets or pipes, fix them as soon as possible. If you or a family member has the skill, repair the leaks. Otherwise, hire a reputable plumber.
Treat the leaks as an emergency. For one, it’s a waste of water. The leak might just be a drop per two seconds, but you’d be surprised how it can fill a bucket to the brim overnight.
And for another, your family, most especially the kids and the elderly, might slip through the floor and get seriously injured.
Check your gutters as well for any leaks. If there’s any, get it fixed to avoid mold formation and weaken the part of your house where the leak runs through.
And if there’s stagnant water on the gutter or the ground below it, this will become a breeding ground for mosquitos.
Patch the Holes
A hole in the wall is cute only in cartoons. You see the mischievous Jerry walking confidently out of it or running frantically towards it whenever Tom chases him. In real life, though, a broken wall isn’t good.
If you don’t remember damaging your wall from moving furniture around, then it might be a sign of pest infestation. Rats and mice are the main suspects. They’re clever, so you must be smarter to catch or eliminate them.
Call the Bug Busters
The experienced pest control specialists are definitely smarter than these rodents. You can hire them to effectively and efficiently eliminate the pests from your home without the chemicals that can harm you and your cats.
If they need to treat a certain room or the entire house, use this time to bring your feline friend out in nature to play or chill, strengthening your bond together.
It goes without saying that you should only contact the pest control experts if you have a severe infestation or if the cost is immaterial to you.
Regardless, this will save you time, energy and unnecessary stress. Plus, you can get personalized advice to further pest-proof your house.
Cover the Cracks
Ants, termites, and other pests will be interested in any cracks found around your house. There are existing blogs and videos on how to do this. But for fast and stress-free sealing of cracks, just hire a reputable carpenter.
For long, branching out cracks in cemented walls caused by a poor job, improper drilling or earthquakes, apply fresh cement between cracks and repaint the wall. This also hides any cat scratch marks.
For damages in wood, such as cracks, holes and breakage, sometimes it’s better to replace the entire wall instead of applying patches to ensure a 100% fix.
Assign a Cat Chow Area
Choose a specific part of your house to feed your cat. This can either be in the kitchen or close to your dining table. Train your cat to eat in a single spot only for easy cleaning of the floor and cat bowl.
Avoid feeding your cat in its sleeping quarters, as any morsel on its bed will attract ants and other pests.
Examine the Exterior
Your house might be pest-proof from the inside, but if there are holes, cracks and gaps in your home’s exterior, these relentless bugs can and will eventually find themselves creeping inside.
Plus, checking the area outside and around your house helps you identify and fix any problem that threatens the structural integrity of your home.
Add Some Pest-Repelling Plants
Eco-friendly and oxygen-adding, plants like basil, lavender, mint and rosemary can help keep pests like mosquitos and flies at bay. Some of them can also be used as natural bug repellents.
Let the Light In
This seems to be a no-brainer, but the sun is truly powerful. Remember how Superman regains his strength by exposing himself directly to sunlight? Well, that’s also true for humans, trees and animals.
So, open your windows, curtains and blinds to let the sunshine in during the day. This makes your home brighter and more alive. Indoor plants benefit from this, too.
On the contrary, pests such as rodents and roaches stay away from bright and clean environments. They prefer dark and dirty. So, you’re making your home pest-free by letting the light in.
What can pests do to your cat?
Cats are hunters by nature and enjoy pursuing prey. Bugs and rodents are their favorite, but some can be toxic or cause injury. Even non-poisonous bugs can cause vomiting or other gastrointestinal problems if too many insects are consumed.
Like humans, pets are just as likely to be exposed to health threats posed by pests. If your cat ingests insects or a rodent it eats is exposed to pesticides, your feline can risk being poisoned. Here are some of the pests that can cause harm to your pet.
What pests are troublesome for cats?
These bugs pose a danger to your feline friends:
- Wasps, bees, and other stingers
- Poisonous spiders such asblack widows, brown recluses and hobo spiders
- Some large, exotic caterpillars
- Rodents
- Centipedes like the giant redheaded centipede and the Texas redhead centipede
- Roaches, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers
- Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and flies.
Where do pests usually like to hide?
Rodents and other pests can take up residence in any of these areas of your house:
The Kitchen. Maybe a favorite spot for ants and mice, the kitchen is a busy area where constant cleaning is a never-ending chore. As expected, 50% of rodent infestations in the home are from here. Mice, ants, and other pests follow the scent of food, but certain scents can turn them away – natural cleaning agents include soap, vinegar, and lemons.
The Basement. What better place to hide than a dark and musty area? As a storage room where clutter can collect dust, the basement is a place for pests because of its dark and dingy atmosphere.
Attics and Garages. Like the basement, these areas are places to store and pile up clutter. Attics and garages, where people rarely pass through or stay, gather dust, grime, and dirt, serving as great hiding places for small animals and insects.
The Bathroom. This area is prone to accumulating mold, mildew, moisture, and soap scum. Because of these, pests are likely to try and get into the bathroom as well.
Final Thoughts
Pest-proofing your home involves setting a regular cleaning routine, fixing leaks, holes and cracks, hiring a pest control specialist, assigning a pet dining area, checking the house exterior, adding a couple of pest-repelling plants, and letting the sunshine in. Doing these ensures you and your cat are happy, healthy and safe.
