Understanding Cat Safety
The 21st Century environment for pets cats is full of dangers that did not exist a couple of generations ago and sadly, many cat owners don't understand these dangers until it is too late.
Here are a few pointers that can help us to be more aware of what dangers our cat faces everyday.
It's important to understand that no matter how old our cat is, she has about the same understanding of the world around her as a 2 or 3-year old child.
True, her instincts are sharp and very advanced when it comes to stalking a bird or even a toy mouse but the same is not true at all when it comes to a car or even a bike, not to mention the dozens of hidden dangers in our driveways, garages, kitchens and bathrooms.
Cars are the number one killer and maimer of cats that are allowed outside.
And this danger doesn't come only from being hit, which is the most common, but also a host of others.
For example, a cat could easily find an open car window to be very enticing, specially when it is cold outside.
When the car is started, the cat may get frightened and disoriented and jump out of the window into moving traffic on a highway.
Cats have also perished when left, either knowingly or unknowingly, in a locked car on a hot day.
People assume that a cat can handle a fall from high places with grace and this is simply not true.
Many cats have died from falling off balconies, roofs, fences and even trees.
What surprises a lot of people is that these deaths take place more often from shorter falls than longer ones and the reason is that in a short fall, the cat does not have the time to twist its body in order to land on its feet and may hit its head on the ground first.
Household poisons are another leading killer of cats.
One particularly dangerous one is antifreeze which a cat may encounter in the garage floor and lick it since it is sweet.
Lawn pesticides are another if a cat walks on a treated lawn and then licks her paws.
And the bathroom toilet could be the end of your cat if she gets thirsty and drinks from it with the water being treated with a toilet cleaning chemical.
Finally, we need to be extremely conscious of objects our cats can ingest, both inside and outside our homes.
Small items on the floor, like pins or plastic beads, can be deadly to inquisitive kittens.
Pieces of cloth, plastic or ribbon that become frayed from cat toys or furniture can also be accidentally ingested and cause a blockage in the gastrointestinal tract very easily.
Many times, it is the ignorance and misinformation of cat owners that cause death or injury to our pets and simply being aware of some of these dangers should be enough to save many of our cats lives.
Here are a few pointers that can help us to be more aware of what dangers our cat faces everyday.
It's important to understand that no matter how old our cat is, she has about the same understanding of the world around her as a 2 or 3-year old child.
True, her instincts are sharp and very advanced when it comes to stalking a bird or even a toy mouse but the same is not true at all when it comes to a car or even a bike, not to mention the dozens of hidden dangers in our driveways, garages, kitchens and bathrooms.
Cars are the number one killer and maimer of cats that are allowed outside.
And this danger doesn't come only from being hit, which is the most common, but also a host of others.
For example, a cat could easily find an open car window to be very enticing, specially when it is cold outside.
When the car is started, the cat may get frightened and disoriented and jump out of the window into moving traffic on a highway.
Cats have also perished when left, either knowingly or unknowingly, in a locked car on a hot day.
People assume that a cat can handle a fall from high places with grace and this is simply not true.
Many cats have died from falling off balconies, roofs, fences and even trees.
What surprises a lot of people is that these deaths take place more often from shorter falls than longer ones and the reason is that in a short fall, the cat does not have the time to twist its body in order to land on its feet and may hit its head on the ground first.
Household poisons are another leading killer of cats.
One particularly dangerous one is antifreeze which a cat may encounter in the garage floor and lick it since it is sweet.
Lawn pesticides are another if a cat walks on a treated lawn and then licks her paws.
And the bathroom toilet could be the end of your cat if she gets thirsty and drinks from it with the water being treated with a toilet cleaning chemical.
Finally, we need to be extremely conscious of objects our cats can ingest, both inside and outside our homes.
Small items on the floor, like pins or plastic beads, can be deadly to inquisitive kittens.
Pieces of cloth, plastic or ribbon that become frayed from cat toys or furniture can also be accidentally ingested and cause a blockage in the gastrointestinal tract very easily.
Many times, it is the ignorance and misinformation of cat owners that cause death or injury to our pets and simply being aware of some of these dangers should be enough to save many of our cats lives.
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