How to safeguard your cat
    from dangers     






    “Dogs have masters.  Cats have staff.”  And that means YOU are the staff and are
    responsible for the cat’s safety.  Curiosity doesn't kill the cat owner, but it can kill a
    cat.  This is especially important for kittens who tend to be even more curious than
    adult cats.  Learn what you need to know to cat-proof your home.  Eliminate
    household hazards, the same ones you would eliminate for human toddlers.

    Indoor cats
    Make it a habit to find your indoor cats every morning, half-way through the day, at
    the evening moist food meal and before going to bed.  Anytime you leave the
    house on an errand, make a visual check that each cat is accounted for.  When you
    return, do the same thing.  That way no cat gets left in an unsafe area for
    long.                    
    It's not easy to keep the door shut, if you're trying to keep your cats inside.  It
    takes training for all members of your household.  And, of course, it takes training
    for the cats, too.  
    In the garage, a cat may get under the hood of your car, especially if it’s warm.  
    That’s another good reason to make sure you can spot each cat before you leave
    the house.  Antifreeze is poisonous for cats, so wipe up any that is spilled and
    leave the container in a secure spot.  Creosote used for preserving wood is toxic.  
    Insect, rat or mouse poison is toxic to cats, even if the source is the cat's prey,
    which has been poisoned.  Fertilizer can be poisonous, so keep cats indoors for 24
    hours after using and then water the lawn before letting your cats out.  
    If you see your cat eating something poisonous, bring the cat to the vet
    immediately along with the container of the poisonous material.      
    Cleaning equipment kept in lower cabinets can be a threat to cats if they can open
    the doors.  Try a baby latch on any cabinet in which danger lurks.  In fact, consider
    anything that could get on the cats fur or paws.  If it could poison them when they
    lick it off, hide it securely.  Residue from cleaning items that you use on your wood
    floors, carpets, linoleum or tile will get onto the cat's paws.  When they groom
    themselves, they clean between their toes and may ingest the cleaning product.  
    Also, as the cat walks over the floors, it will breathe the product in, which may
    cause sneezing and coughing.         
    An open drawer, suitcase, washer or dryer and even a closet door is an
    invitation for the naturally curious cat.  Check each drawer before you close it.  
    Check your suitcase before you leave home.  Check each box you’re packing.  
    Double check washers and dryers, dishwashers, and ovens before you close their
    doors, whether you’re running them or not.
    Keep toilet seats down if there's a kitten in the house, to keep them from falling
    into the toilet and drowning.    
    There are several kinds of plants that are poisonous to cats.  You can check my
    page on How to prevent poisoning from plants and bushes.   
    Another hazard is anything stringy, which cats may put in their mouth and
    swallow.  The strings can get tangled up in the cat's bowels and cause
    constrictions.  This includes rubber bands, tinsel, thread, yarn, ribbon, twine, dental
    floss and the strings that control your blinds.  Needles are attractive to curious cats
    but can be swallowed.  Staples and pins that are caught in the weave of the rug
    can hurt tiny paws.  
    Keep garbage cans secure so cats can’t get in them, especially to keep them from
    eating meat with bones in it and to keep them from spoiled food.  Sharp kitchen
    utensils and garden tools can hurt a cat's paw.   
    Plastic bags can suffocate a cat.  Shopping bags with handles can catch a cat’s
    neck in them.  
    Hot electric stoves and hot irons can be dangerous.  Teach your cat to stay off the
    stove.  Cover the stove's hot electric burners with a kettle of water to keep the cat
    off them while they cool down.  I've read that cats can get sick from the fumes of
    very hot frying oil.  Watch that a kitten doesn’t start chewing on an electric cord.  
    A lit candle seems to be looking for a furry tail.  The easiest precaution is to not
    use candles in any room where a cat will be. If you do, extinguish them when you
    leave the room.  The same applies to any open fire.   
    Loose screens can be a hazard if your cat is an indoor cat.  This is doubly
    dangerous if the window is on an upper floor.  If you have a balcony, add secure
    screening to protect the cat from falling.   
    Be aware of your loose medications, especially aspirin.  If they're on a counter, a
    cat can lick them.  The same is true of medications for dogs or other pets also.  
    They may very well be harmful to your cat.  Don’t apply a dog’s flea products on a
    cat, as they are poisonous to cats.     
    And, for your own sanity, put toilet paper on the roll so that it winds from
    underneath.  This will help avoid having a total paper mess in the bathroom as the
    cat paws at the roll.
    Long drapes and shower curtains are an invitation to the curious cat who loves to
    climb.  Be sure they’re fastened securely.  
    Which reminds me about the Christmas tree.  Expect your cat to try to climb it, just
    as much as they would climb any outdoor tree.  Take whatever precautions you
    need.  
    Another danger indoor cats face is obesity from not exercising enough.  That can
    be forestalled by providing enough space for the cat to exercise in and by walking
    the cat outdoors on a leash.    

    Using a safe room
    I have a safe room, equipped with food, water and a litter box, a place where I can
    put my cats when they face a dangerous situation.  This comes in handy when we
    have a lot of visitors opening and shutting the outside door or when workmen are
    in other parts of the house.  This is also the room in which I put a new cat for the
    first overnight stay, and which I use after we’ve just moved into a new home, until
    we’re somewhat settled.   
      


























    Outdoor cats
    If you’ve moved and have outdoor cats, keep them inside for a few weeks until
    they know for sure that this is where they now live.  Cats that have recently moved
    may travel tremendous distances to get back to their previous home.  Two of my
    cats escaped from my safe room during their first night with me.  Although they had
    been indoor cats in the other house, they knew how to get back there.  
    Unfortunately, their owner had already moved away.  We found one right away,
    but the other took months to catch.     
    Outdoor cats face many more dangers.  The dangers are dependent on where you
    live.  
    In our locale, the most dangerous are the wild predators that roam the forest and
    the air above it.  Bears walk up the ramp onto our deck.  Mother deer do
    everything they can to protect their young.  Hawks and other large birds fly
    overhead and could easily pick a smaller cat.  Neighborhood dogs could be
    territorial and hunt down cats that step into their area.  Snake bites may be
    lethal.  Bring your cat to the vet immediately.  Even if you just suspect a snake bite
    because they're in your area, and if you see swelling that progresses to a larger
    area on the cat's body, bring your cat to the vet immediately.  Stinging insects can
    cause the cat's face to start swelling and affect its breathing.  If so, that's another
    reason to bring your cat to the vet.  The Colorado River Toad is poisonous.  If the
    cat picks ups the toad in its mouth, the poison will enter the cat's system.  Wash
    the cat's mouth out for five to ten minutes and bring the cat to the vet right away.   
    We must include fleas, ticks and lice in this section, too.          

    If you really want your cat to be an outdoor cat, try to limit its outdoor time during
    the early morning or late afternoon, when wild animals are feeding.  If you want
    birds in your neighborhood, work doubly hard to keep them safe, too.    
    Make sure your cat’s vaccinations are current.  You can’t tell about the diseases in
    the other animals your cat will encounter.  Bites can become infected and will need
    special care.  Any sick or poisoned prey that your cat picks up can poison it,
    too.         
    When cats are chased by or are chasing another animals, they could end up on the
    street or highway.  Cats don’t look both ways before crossing the street.  
    High fences usually do not deter a cat, since they can jump very high.  But
    electrified fences and barbed wire can kill or maim a cat.
    The curious outdoor cat can get inadvertently locked into garages, sheds,
    basements, and attics.                        
    Some trees, bushes and outdoor plants are poisonous to cats.  Insecticides, rodent
    poisons and weed killers could be dangerous.  Your cat may walk over areas you
    have sprayed and then lick its paws.    
    And, worst of all, some humans deliberately do terrible things to cats.  
    It’s safer to keep cats indoors and set up your home to be cat-proof than to allow
    your cats out where you cannot control what they’ll face.   
How to Safeguard Your Cat