A safe home is a happy home. Make sure your cat isn’t exposed to any hazards in your home or garden.
Home safe home
When you come home with a new cat, it goes without saying that you want to make everything as safe as possible. Here are a few tips.
Indoor safety
Many common household objects are highly toxic even in low quantities:
- Coins (high concentration of zinc)
- Mothballs (naphthalene of paradicholorbezine)
- Potpourri oils, fabric softener sheets, automatic dish detergents (cationic detergents which cause corrosive lesions)
- Batteries (acids or alkali which cause corrosive lesions)
- Home-made play dough (high level of salt)
- Hand or foot warmers (high levels of iron)
- Cigarettes, leftover coffee grounds, alcohol
- Chocolate (contains theombromine, a toxin in your cat's system that can't be eliminated).
- Keep your cat away from any cleaning agents. These contain a range of dangerous properties, which could harm your cat. One teaspoon of anti-freeze for example, can kill a 3.5 kilogram cat because of the ethylene glycol it contains.
- If you use any type of vermin bait, such as rat baits or cockroach traps, put them in areas that are inaccessible to your cat. It’s a good idea to check if anyone in your neighbourhood is using them as well. Most baits contain sweet-smelling poisonous ingredients that cats find attractive.
Cat-proofing your home
Cats, particularly kittens, love to explore objects by touching, chewing and tasting them. Protect your pet from swallowing hazardous household items.
- Get covered rubbish bins for your kitchen and bathroom.
- Keep kitchen countertops clear to make them less tempting.
- Store household chemicals and poisons in a locked cabinet.
- Keep toilet lids down, so your cat can’t fall in.
- Keep electrical cords and wires out of sight, secured to the wall or tucked behind furniture.
- Shorten dangling blind and curtain cords and secure them out of reach.
In the garden
Cats left to their own devices in the great outdoors will often have a taste of your garden’s plants. Ask your vet for a complete list of plants that are potentially harmful to your cat.
The more common house and garden plants include:
House plants
- Philodendron
- Mistletoe
- Poinsettia
Garden plants
- Lily
- Azalea
- Daffodil
- Tomato
- Foxglove
- Yew
- Hydrangea
Outdoor safety
Every cat has instincts to establish territory, climb trees, hunt for prey, socialise with other cats and catnap in the sun. However, being outdoors increases the risk of exposure to disease and parasites, getting lost or stolen, injured or killed on the road. So if you do decide to let your cat outdoors, make it as safe as possible.
- Neuter your cat to minimise roaming or fighting with other cats, as well as the transmission of diseases or risk of pregnancy. Confine your cat indoors until she has recovered from the surgery.
- Keep all vaccinations current. Talk to your vet about new vaccines that protect against contagious feline diseases.
- Follow a regular worming routine including flea treatments.
- Get your cat microchipped.
- If you live in a quiet area, install a cat flap and allow your cat outside during the day. Make sure the flap is lockable so you can keep your pet indoors at night and safe from traffic and predatory animals.
- Alternatively, you can also build a large cat run in your garden, linked by a cat flap. This should have a warm, weatherproof section and be positioned half in sun and shade. Add a tree trunk or climbing frame, ropes and perches, some grass, a catnip plant, a litter tray and water bowl.
- If you live in an apartment or near a busy road, consider keeping your cat indoors or use a harness and lead when outdoors. In spite of their intelligence, cats cannot be expected to understand that cars are dangerous. Always check for any cats lying in your drive before reversing your car.
- Make sure your cat wears a ‘quick release’ collar with an identification tag listing your address and your vet's phone number. A reflector strip on the collar will help motorists spot your cat at night.
- Use an enclosed cat carrier to transport your cat outdoors or by car.
- Use chemical herbicides carefully. Restrict access to your garden after applying any chemical until the area dries completely.