Dangers
Road Accidents
Cars are the greatest danger for cats. It is a good idea
to keep your cat indoors at night
(serving a tasty morsel at nightfall encourages your pet to
come home!). Failing that,
a reflective collar makes your pet more visible. Neutering
makes your cat less inclined to
roam. Falling
Cats love to climb, but they can also fall. Falls from
balconies are common and can cause
horrific injuries that can be fatal. Prevent falls by making
balconies and windows safe with
wire mesh. If your cat does fall from more than one storey,
the animal should be checked by
the vet. Even if your cat appears to be fine, there is a
risk of internal injuries. Get a check
after any fall if your cat seems to be behaving strangely.
Chemical Poisons
Keep all cleaning and garden chemicals safely shut away,
and keep your cat out of the way
when using them. Always keep your cat away from domestic
products such as paint and
varnish removers, rust remover, glue and fire extinguisher
chemicals as they can all cause
poisoning. The fumes from products such as varnish and paint
remover can also be
dangerous, so do not have the cat in the room when you are
using them, and wait until the
fumes have dispersed before letting the cat back in. Slug
pellets are poisonous – either use a non-toxic form of slug
control, or cover treated
areas with chicken wire so that pets cannot get to them.
Some types of weed killers (those
containing paraquat) are extremely dangerous for pets and
humans alike. Antifreeze is
extremely toxic – store and dispose of it safely. Rat and
mice poisons are another hazard for cats – both through
eating the bait, and from
catching poisoned rodents. Many of these poisons are
colored for easy identification – so
if you have seen the bait, make a note of the color. Also,
batteries of all types are
dangerous if swallowed.
Dangers Continued... |
