Cats Knowledge

posted by Dee on Oct 18

If you have a toddler or small child in your house, wouldn’t you take all precautions for their safety? The same could be applied in case of your household pets too. Most of the household items are not meant for animals and therefore may harm your pets. They can cause allergies and health problems for your pets, even if specifically meant for them. Sharp edged items may hurt them, poisonous materials may even threaten their lives. So, please take precautionary measures to protect your pets from all types of household dangers. Just use common sense and take the same precautions as you would for a child.

Household Poisons

The most common danger that harms your pets are household poisons. Household items which contain glycol that has a sweet taste are deadly. If consumed even in small quantities, it can kill a seven-pound cat. Cocoa mulch contains ingredients that can be deadly to pets if ingested. The mulch, sold in garden supply stores, has a chocolate scent that is appetizing to some animals.

Chemicals used on lawns and gardens, such as fertilizer and plant food, can be easily accessible and fatal to a pet allowed in the yard unsupervised. Fumes from nonstick cooking surfaces and self-cleaning ovens can be deadly to birds.

Human medications such as pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, anti-depressants, vitamins, and diet pills can all be toxic to animals. Keep medication containers and tubes of ointments and creams away from pets who could chew through them, and be vigilant about finding and disposing of any dropped pills.

If the warning label states to keep the product out of reach of children, it means you should keep it out of reach of pets, too.

Human Food

Few of the human food items may cause health problems to pets. Common human foods to keep away from pets include onions, chocolate, alcoholic beverages, yeast dough, coffee grounds, salt, macadamia nuts, tomato, potato, rhubarb leaves, avocados and anything with mold growing on it.

Sharp Objects

Sharp objects are always threats to pets. Most of the household materials are sharp edged. Keep objects like knife, glass materials etc… away from the reach of pets. Leftovers such as chicken bones can easily shatter and choke a cat or dog. String, yarn, rubber bands, and even dental floss are easy to swallow and can cause intestinal blockages or strangulation. Toys with removable parts like squeaky toys or stuffed animals with plastic eyes can pose a choking hazard to animals.

Electric equipments raise threats to pets as there is always possibility of electric shock from these equipments. Never allow your pet to play with any of the electric items. Water containers like bowls, tanks, bathtubs… etc could be another detrimental zone for pets. Keep an eye on pets when they are near to any of the water containers. Check out cords of e.g. window blinds where a pet can get entangled with and may not be able to free itself.

.. Or Else ..

You should use all household products with caution and keep a pet first-aid kit and manual readily available. If all of your precautions fail, and you believe that your pet has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or emergency veterinary service immediately. Signs of poisoning include listlessness, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, lack of coordination, and fever.

It is the obligation of a pet owner to keep pets away from dangers. Just think what they might do when you are not at home. One way to keep your pets safe and sound is to train them properly to recognize and avoid dangers. If you take care of these simple but important things your house will be the best and the safest home for your pets.