Tips for a Poison-Free Cat-Safe Home

If you have a cat, you know that they tend to explore and chew on things – from a shoelace to leaves of plants. They may even walk right into your fridge and sit on a shelf sniffing everything you have in there if you let them. Since their curiosity is hard to curb, it’s up to us to make sure they are safe from harmful things like cleaning agents, sharp utensils, and plants.

Here are 8 tips for a poison safe house

1: Be aware of the plants you have in your house and in the yard. Some are poisonous to cats such as easter lilies and azaleas.

2: When you clean, try to keep the cat away from the room you’re in so that they don’t walk on a freshly mopped floor and lick their paws. Ingesting various detergents can give them an upset stomach or worse.

3: If you use baits and traps to get rid of pests, keep them in places where your cat cannot get to them or inside a cabinet. Most baits have a sweet smelling ingredient that your cat might want to check out.

4: Do not give you cat any medications unless your vet has prescribed them. Keep all your medications in a safe place such as the cabinet or in a container that your cat cannot open.

5: Do not leave chocolate out. Some cats (more so dogs) have a tendency to taste things as they explore and chocolate is toxic.

6: Keep potpourri, fabric softener sheets, batteries, and other household items in closets or cabinets. The agents in most household items can be corrosive or poisonous to cats.

7: If you keep automotive products like oil, gasoline, and antifreeze in the house, make sure it’s somewhere your cat cannot get to. Antifreeze can be deadly.

8: If your cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, do not let them out after you’ve applied any type of insecticide or fertilizer to your yard. The chemicals in them are highly toxic and if your cat steps on a part of your treated lawn and then grooms herself, she can become extremely ill.