Question
My partner is set on getting a kitten. We live in a terraced house, and I've heard horror stories of cats getting trapped in walls, behind large appliances, etc. by finding their way into places they've no business being.
Is there any guidance as to what is the minimum "safe" width of any gap, so as to prevent such accidents. I've already identified two places in our house that I'm going to have to cover, but there's smaller gaps (between a freezer and fridge, for example) that I'm wondering if I need to find solutions for.
I've found comments like the following on other Q&A sites:
They can fit through a hole that is a big as their head, nothing smaller.
If this is the case, then can someone give a rough indication of how large I can expect an average kitten (10-12 weeks old) head to be?
Answer
For kittens that young, any gap or opening the size of a tennis ball or slightly smaller...should probably be blocked. (Approximately 2.5 inches.) That's at the smaller end. I would not leave gaps larger than 3 inches, unless you are prepared for the cat to get into those places.
Keep in mind: cats are contortionists, kittens doubly so. Even blocking all gaps wider than two inches MAY still leave an opening for a fuzzy adventurer to get into.
EDIT: it's been a few weeks since I answered this question, and a few days ago I adopted two 14-week-old kittens. And...yep, 2 inches wide is about the largest opening they can get into easily. Their teeny little skulls are about the size of a golfball.
Answered By - user2505