Dangers
What dangers does the cat face at home?
The old proverb that “the curiosity killed the cat” may be used to our pets today. Cats may run to different dangerous situations if we don’t take care of them. Fortunately if we do some precautions it will make you home safe for your friend.
Clothes DryersCats adore warm, comfortable places where they can curl up and sleep. Dryers are one such place. Always keep the door to the dryer closed. Before you turn on the dryer, check inside to make sure that no cat is curled up, sleeping inside. Many cat’s lives have been cut short by choosing an unsafe sleeping spot, such as a dryer.
Be careful when choosing cleaning products. Cats often ingest them because they have the habit of carefully cleaning themselves with their tongues. They walk on the newly cleaned, wet floor. Then they lick their paws with their tongues and ingesting the chemicals in the floor cleaning products.
Antifreeze is a very dangerous and deadly product. It is even more deadly because of its sweet taste that animals are attracted to. Even ingesting a small amount of antifreeze can be fatal to your cat. If you suspect your cat has swallowed antifreeze, rush your cat to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic. If the cat is treated right away, it has a chance of surviving. Non-lethal forms of antifreeze are available on the market today. Be sure and ask for it the next time you buy antifreeze.
When cats jump up or down onto a shelf or table, the furniture undergoes a strong force. If the furniture is unstable, then your cat is in danger. Examine your furniture! Push on the edges of each piece of furniture. If it is unstable or wobbly, fix it. Other dangerous things are books and magazines which hang over the edge of a table. If a cat jumps up on them, everything can fall over onto the cat. Dressers with drawers are also unstable. If a cat jumps up on an open drawer, the entire dresser can fall and the result can be deadly.
Powdered toilet bowl cleaners (that come in a box) are very dangerous to animals. I never use these type of cleaners: the toilet which glistens should not cost the life of your pet. Instead, I clean the toilet the old fashioned way: with a brush, a safer cleaning product, and some elbow grease. Then I close my eyes and flush the toilet, two or three times. After that I can be sure that the poison is gone.
People seem to think that after a cat falls and lands on its feet, that they will now have a fear of heights. Nothing could be further from the truth! Every year thousands of cats get serious injuries or die from jumping out of an opened window or from a balcony. Of course, they land on the feet, but it doesn’t help them after falling from the twentieth floor. Have good, strong screens on the windows. Even the smallest hole in the screen may pose a great danger to the curious or energetic cat. Never let your pet out on the balcony. The animal instinct will win over the fear of height. Any butterfly or bird can make your cat jump and the result won’t be good. It won’t help to watch your cat because something can go wrong at any time. Try to avoid any situations which can be deadly to you cat. Prepare a safe place for your cat near the window where it can sit and look at the street. Tell him that it’s better this way. I made a removable window with an iron frame for the balcony. In the summer, I put this up so my cat could get fresh air without being in any danger.
If a new cat or a kitten appears in your house then you have many reason to close the fireplace damper. First of all, a cat can have many reasons (for example, a very frightened cat) to get into the fireplace. Murphy’s Law says that if you have a cat, as soon as you get a white sofa, you cat will go walk through the ashes and track it immediately onto your new sofa. Secondly, the ashes are an attractive alternative to the litter box. As soon as you light a fire you will sense an unusual smell. Third, the warm ashes can look like an attractive place for a cat to curl up and sleep. It can cause burns on the paws or even something worse. Lastly, for some cats, the fire is hypnotic. It becomes a problem these days, when many towns turn off the lights, we then use candles or kerosene lamps. We need to protect our animals from any open fire. They could accidentally come in contact with the flame and catch their fur on fire.
In rainy or cold day the car engine is a comfortable shelter. But there is a real problem: what will happen if somebody turns on the engine? it’s necessary to drive away the cats from the car as far as you can. If I see a cat under the car I throw on it the handfuls of stones or mud, beat on the hood or, in general, make different noise. I wish all the cats understand that when they see a man near the car they have to run. Run away! Of course, it is not a pleasure thing, but it is better than to run risk or to die terribly.
Oh, these are so fun! They roll and make so much noise while passing by. Their size coincides with the size of cat’s jaws. What cat can resist such fun? Only some of them can resist it and it’s a very serious problem. Moth balls are poisoned. Keep them away from your cat or kitten!
Cats lick and eat everything that is tasty to them. If you leave a knife on the kitchen counter, maybe one you just sliced meat with, your cat just might lick the blade and this can damage his tongue. The same is true with blade of a food processor or blender. Or if you leave a used Brillo pad in the sink, don’t be surprised if you find it chewed up by your cat. Carefully clean the knives after using them and keep Brillo pads in the cabinet, under the sink. In general, be careful!
Bones from chicken, fish, pork, turkey, in general, all bones which are not big and which can be easily gnawed will attract your cat. Small bones can stick in the intestines if a cat if swallowed. They can cause problems internally such as perforations, tears and blockages. Put the bones into a cat proof trash can. Dental floss, yarn, string, thread, curling ribbon and fishing line. String is the wonderful toy that you drag around on the floor for your cat to follow. But if it swallows the string, it immediately become very dangerous. Especially when your cat swallows a needle and thread. But even if there is no needle a piece of string, yarn, thread, dental floss, curling ribbon or fishing line, can stick in the intestines and cause ache, damage to the intestines or even death. When you leave home, put all these things away. If you find the end of a string hanging out from the mouth or backside of your cat, DOn’t PULL IT OUT! If it is stuck in your cat’s intestine, you may damage them by pulling on it. Instead, rush your cat immediately to the vet. it’s quite necessary!
Ropes, threads, ribbons and yarn
Ropes are the beautiful toys when you pull them on the floor while playing with your pet. But if it swallows them, they immediately become very dangerous. Especially it concerns the cases when your cat swallows the thread with the needle. But even if there is no needle a piece of rope, yarn or thread can stick in the intestines and cause ache, damages of the intestines or even death. When you leave home, put all these things away. If you find the end of rope handing out from front or back of your cat don’t pull it out! If it stocked in your cat’s organs you may damage them trying to pull it out. Instead of this immediately take your cat to veterinary. it’s quite necessary!
Cats like things they can run after. Thumbtacks, especially with plastic heads are the wonderful toys for cat. The cat pushes them with the paws and then rushes on them. The potential danger is clear. Put the thumbtacks always away! Close your box with sewing articles. Of course, put away all the tools.
Never give your cat drugs intended for people unless your have consulted with your veterinary first. Acetaminophen, which is in Tylenol and some other medicines that contain aspirin, may be fatal to cats. Ibuprofen, which is contained in some medicines, is also poisonous for cats. Aspirin is dangerous too. Be careful and remember: pills may kill so may prescription drugs. Cats like to run after pills or tablets that have been spilled on the floor, but this may be fatal. Bottles of medicine must be closed and kept in a safe place.
If you the door closed, it may kill your little kitten or cripple an adult cat. Look behind you every time you close the door and close it carefully. it’s possible to cripple (or even worse) your kitten when it follows close behind you and gets hit by a closing door.
Try to unfold and fold your sofa bed carefully. If you do it too fast you may crush a cat that sleeps underneath the sheets or sofa. Before you fold up the bed, carefully check around it one or two times. Don’t fold up the bed until you are sure your cat is out of harms way.
Stoves may easily cause burns on the soft paws of a cat. Never let your cat jump on the stove or kitchen counters. Use protection covers for the burners. This will help you to prevent your cat from burning it’s feet. Put the kettle on the back burner to prevent a burn from the hot steam.
There are many plants which can be poisonous or toxic to cats. Here are some of them: amaryllis, azalea, cactus, Christmas rose, haw’s corollas, whitefly, caladium, clematis, box tree, daffodil, foxglove, ilex, hydrangea, iris, lily-of-the-valley, mistletoe, purple bindweed, nettle, philodendron, spurge-laurel, magnolia, glycin, yew tree. This is not a complete list. If you suspect that your cat is sick because it has eaten a plant, then take your cat and a sample of the plant and rush to your vet. Some plants are very dangerous, others are not very poisoned, but let your veterinary decide.
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