DEAR PAW’S CORNER: We have a contractor coming soon to renovate our kitchen.
I plan to keep my cat, “Freya,” out of the way and in a separate room during the day.
But at night, she’ll want to wander the house. How do I keep her out of the kitchen? — Jim in Portland, Maine DEAR JIM: Cats are pretty wily, and I’m sure Freya will try to find a way around any barriers you set up to keep her out of the kitchen.
The best way to dissuade her from exploring the construction area, therefore, is to tempt her away with better distractions.
That means moving her food and water to a new location far from the construction area (but out of heavy foot traffic) and giving her treats and attention whenever she opts to stay in the living room with you or near her bedding and food.
At night, tighten the barriers around the kitchen — if there’s a door, close it. If there is plastic sheeting up, tack it to surrounding walls and tape it to the floor. Put a sheet of plywood across the entrance if necessary.
Inside the work area, make sure that the contractors put away all sharp tools and cover any containers tightly. They should clean up any debris at the end of each day and use a wetdry vacuum to pick up sawdust and dirt.
Any spills need to be cleaned completely.
This will reduce the risk to Freya if she manages to get into the kitchen, and it’s just good practice.
Readers, how did you keep your pets safe during home renovations? Tell me at ask@ pawscorner.com.