# What is the smallest hole a kitten can fit through?



## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

I have some left over welded wire fencing with 2” x4” mesh and I’m going to make a kennel out of it just for fun. I know the cat can’t get through, but I’m not so sure about kittens. I don’t know of anyone at the moment that has kittens and I really can’t remember how small they are when they start climbing. I don’t plan on have kittens anytime soon, but it would be nice to know it would work for kittens.


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

I have a hole in the block foundation for the garage so I could put out an extension cord to the block heater of the G-car when I was on the job years ago. It measures 1.5 by 3.25 inches. A couple of years ago, during the Winter, some moron dropped off a pretty good sized kitten and it found it's way into the garage (and into the house that belongs to Midnight, the wild cat). I could not believe the kitten's head would fit through that opening. During my first attempt to capture it, it got away, but came back again later when all the doors were closed so I knew that was the entry point. Midnight did not like the intrusion but fortunately, the neighbor took it in.

Interesting you should ask this question as I would not have believed that a kitten could have fit through a hole this size - no "give" in the concrete either.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

I'd go with 1" to be safe... cats are amazing at squeezing through things...


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Goldtanker said:


> I have a hole in the block foundation for the garage so I could put out an extension cord to the block heater of the G-car when I was on the job years ago. It measures 1.5 by 3.25 inches. ..............


Thanks, wow that is a lot smaller than what I got.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Thanks, well I’m rethinking this. I don’t plan on having kittens and was thinking more of something to separate the cats if I ever have to, but I guess if I’m going to build one it should at least be able to work for kittens in case someone wants to borrow it.


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## orrymain (Dec 9, 2011)

Oh...well I don't know how small the hole/gap was but when he was a kitten, Orry got stuck under the cabinets in the kitchen. He got in through the gap underneath the cabinets that are the corner ones. We had to cut a hole inside the cabinet to get him out because he would not come out the same way he went it. To this day he is terrified of the corner cabinets. He will not go near them. But I know kittens can fit into the tightest spots.


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## Ritzpg (Dec 7, 2010)

I've heard that the rule of thumb is, if a cat can fit its head into the hole/square, then he can fit his entire body. Something about a cat's spine and neck muscles.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Ritzpg said:


> I've heard that the rule of thumb is, if a cat can fit its head into the hole/square, then he can fit his entire body. Something about a cat's spine and neck muscles.


I second that. They have a floating collarbone so yes, as long as it can fit the head into the hole, the rest of the body can follow. You'd be amazed! I can't open my windows more than the size of my cats' heads for fear they'd get thru.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Ritzpg said:


> I've heard that the rule of thumb is, if a cat can fit its head into the hole/square, then he can fit his entire body. Something about a cat's spine and neck muscles.


Well, that is generally true for wild cats, but not necessarily for household cats. I've seen fat cats stuck in the middle :lol: The funny thing is, they (the fat cats) also believe in the rule of thumb you stated, so they never thought they can't make it


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## Sidestep99 (Jul 2, 2012)

I was surprised and amused by the fact that Felicity can walk through this gate:










She's small, but a 2 year old adult. The door is used to keep a dog at bay, and the other cat in the house usually jumps over it. I closed it to see if felicity could jump it, she simply walked through the spokes which can't be more than a foot wide. She can jump it, but really didn't feel the need


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Wow so I guess it’s got to be less than 1” as minikin44 said previously. I know now that if I ever do have a kitten, I'll have to close off my outside cat walkway


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

Useful info to know! Now I know why Milky is always so keen to get under the tv stand, which the bottom shelf is about 2 inches high. So now we've completely sealed off underneath the bottom shelf by placing unused boxes there! Now he knows we don't let him go there so he's constantly looking for new spots to lie down!


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## LestatTheCat (Sep 1, 2012)

I live in a pretty old building with old windows that are just ancient. They have no screen and are such a strange size I can't imagine I'd find one.

Fall is starting up here and I want to open the windows but I can't come up with a solution yet...


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