# kittens and stairs?



## Adalaide (May 3, 2016)

Not sure if this is a behavior question or what. I am curious when my kitten will be safe to use the stairs. We have a set of spiral stairs going into our finished basement. (which is where our theater room is) We've given up watching TV downstairs since Taco came home, we don't want him to know what stairs are yet. When can we expect him to be safe around stairs? We're happy to carry him, but he is just starting to run and is just about beyond catching speed. So in an emergency we may not be able to stop him from trying to get up the stairs. We can block the stairs from the top. We can not block the stairs from the bottom.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh there's the little cutie pie!  Hm, good question. I would think it would be ok to let him try to climb them, unless the stairs are open and he could fall through. He might be too small to climb them yet. There's a member who posted a video of her kitten learning to climb the stairs (mostly failing) - it makes for great entertainment!


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## Adalaide (May 3, 2016)

They're completely open. They don't have risers and only have an open banister around the outside of them. It would be pretty simple for him to fall through either way. They are the worst steps ever. My husband and I have both fallen down them. I was mostly bumps and bruises, he managed to break something. I'm so worried about our little guy! I guess if we start at the bottom it'll be easier on me because I can catch him if he falls.


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## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

Can you put a pet gate across the entrance, temporarily? Obviously at some point Taco will be big enough to jump onto the stairs beyond the gate (since they are open all around) but hopefully at that point, he will be large enough to navigate the stairs without injury. 

You said the stairs lead to the basement - I'm trying to picture them but not sure I'm seeing the situation exactly right. ;} Is the main worry of Taco going DOWN the stairs while you are not supervising him, or of him someday trying to climb up the stairs while you are in the basement watching TV with him?

I think for now the pet-gate solution would be best - and you could also try to deter him from trying to navigate the stairs by putting something unpleasant (to his paws) on the first few steps, such as sticky bits of tape, plastic sheeting, or foil. Obviously this isn't a good idea if you or your husband go down there often - but if you are on hiatus from the room while Taco is tiny, doing this could help deter him from attempting the stairs (if he discovers them). 

If you were going to try the pet-gate route, you'd want something like this:

Dog Gates: Pressure/Wall Mounting Pet Gate at Drs. Foster & Smith

Or something with screen/mesh, as a kitten could easily get through the slatted kind.

How high are the stairs total? I know this sounds kind of weird, but you could lay couch cushions/pillows/foam chunks around the bottom of the stairs, if the fall isn't too far, in case Taco does slip through them when you are ready to let him try tackling the stairs. Cats can fall safer than we can, usually, but some padding at the landing site would help protect him in an emergency fall.


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## Adelea (Dec 20, 2015)

When I brought Abigail home, she had access to the hallway where the stairs were since that is where the litter box was.

She would run around everywhere, and then just come to a sliding stop when faced with the stairs!

It took her a few weeks before she was brave enough to try them - or maybe she just needed to get a bit bigger so they werent so intimidating.

She would take them one a time, jumping up and resting stair by stair - or jumping down if that is the direction she wanted to go.

When she got a bit older and more confident, she runs up and down them like a bolt of lightning!

My stairs do have risers - so she cant overshoot and fall down that way, but the sides are quite open - Abigail does peer over the edge from time to time, and recently I have seen her jump down - from maybe a 3' drop.


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## Adalaide (May 3, 2016)

If I blocked the opening he could still get down since the whole top of the stairs is available through a railing. And if he falls he could fall straight to the floor from a corner, or he could bounce off a railing.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

They won't have any trouble. Even is they use them too fast, they soon learn to slow down and take them one at a time. I've had very young babies use the steps with little trouble.


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## Adalaide (May 3, 2016)

Thanks guys! I think I'm just a paranoid mama. He's my first kitten, and although my husband has had a kitten in the past that was nearly 20 years ago and he was just a kid then. I have no freaking clue what I'm doing. I have discovered bringing a kitten home is much like bringing a baby home for the first time. You're scared, clueless, and in charge of this living thing that completely depends on you. Middle of the night crying, early morning feedings, long debates about co-sleeping. I know I should just chillax, but I'm a bit high strung.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

You're in good company - there are plenty of us who are totally neurotic about our kitties.  

If you were to get a pet gate, you could block off the top railing by wrapping a sheet or something around the balusters. Not necessarily an attractive option, but it would work.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Middle of the night crying is normally because they are lonely or hungry. Feed her a BIG meal just before bed and that should help. Put a hot water bottle wrapped in a fluffy, cozy blanket for her to snuggle with if you are not letting her in your bed. One of the great joys most of us cat owners have is letting our furbabies sleep with us. It is so relaxing to feel that purr as they snuggle in next to you. :lol:


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

When my Robin Hood 1st learned to use the stairs, he sat at the top , and peered down. You could see the struggle of being scared, and 'what's down there?' Finally, one day as I was heading down, Robin decided to give it a try. He put his front paws on the 1st step, then scooted his back legs down. I waited on the next step, then the next, then the next. Place, scoot, place, scoot, place, scoot. Going back up, he hopped!


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## Adalaide (May 3, 2016)

It seems now that our stair problem has been resolved, although not the way I wanted it to be. My husband is working on a lego project in the basement, since Taco never even went near the stairs and we were afraid he'd try to eat a small piece and choke. Well last night Taco finally decided he can do stairs. The first time was quite tentative, the second he just bolted down them. To keep him out until the project is finished (should be tonight) I put cardboard barriers in front of all access to the top stair. Well, in his eagerness to be down there he fell off the other edge. The whole way to the basement floor!!! I panicked and was down in a heartbeat after him. He was just sitting there watching me come down, looking at me like I'm the crazy one. The second my foot hit the floor he was off again, running because he knew I was gonna take him back up. Clearly he was fine. I am still watching him in case he acts weird over the next day or two, at which point I would be at the emergency vet in a blink. But it seems that he has dictated how things are gonna get done around here. Also, I don't think he was impressed with his fall, because he hasn't wandered by the edge again. I'm grateful for all the advice while I was paranoid about it. It seems though that Taco has things under control in this house.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

LOL! Well, there are some lessons he's going to learn the hard way, I guess. 

He's probably just fine, and now you don't need to worry about the stairs anymore!


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