Hi all.
Perhaps you've been reading my on-going exploits with Paris and Zoe, our new little kittens, in another thread (who, BTW, have roundworm, in addition to tapeworm...oh joy. Gotta love feral mommas. A source of who-knows-what out there! ).
Well, to get them used to the house and us, we've been keeping them in the dining room, which me modified into a little kitty kindergarten. We've set off the room with louver doors and assorted pressure gates and an unfolded kennel. It's worked great - for the first week we've had them! Now, as they get older, bigger, stronger, and more confident that we aren't going to kill them, their leaping ability is growing - well...by leaps and bounds.
And we've been letting them out of the dining room to explore other areas of the house (the kitchen and the living room so far), and returning them to the dining room at night and when we're at work.
But today (DH is home), they've sort of taken it upon themselves to leap the kennel fence and go exploring on their own...when they normally were napping or playing in the dining room. This means, of course, then when DH is NOT at home, and I'm at work, we can't rely on them to stay securely in the dining room (and, therefore, out of trouble).
So...question....
We figure this is their normal evolution in the house and their days of easy confinement are over...right?
How DO you keep kittens off the places you don't want them? They climb like monkeys and have to go EVERYwhere and see EVERYthing. I'm most worried about my grandmother's antique lamp on a side table in the living room and plants on the bow window (which Zoe already tried nibbling.).
Do we just give up for good now, and open up the upstairs to them 24/7, or should we still try to maintain them in the diningroom in the evening when we're asleep?
Any recommendation would be welcome. Thanks!
Oh...vet just told me, as I had no idea - that clumping litter was a no-no for kittens under 6 mos. old. So, DH is off to the pet store for new litter, and drat it! he just did a full cleaning of the litter boxes this morning!