Keeping Home Safe for Cats

Dear Readers,

I hope you and your kitties had a happy holiday season and Happy New Year to all! I am often asked about how we can better safeguard our homes to ensure our cats don’t get into dangerous situations and trouble. So, to start off the New Year, I am going to talk about simple things we can do to keep our feline friends safe and happy.

Anyone who lives with a cat knows that they can never open or close a door or drawer without checking that their curious cat has snuck inot some place she shouldn’t. I remember a client with two adorable cats, Maddie and Cochise, but during one visit, only Maddie greeted me at the door. A quick glance around the apartment told me the owners had left on their vacation in a hurry. They are normally very neat, but the place was in disarray. I looked everywhere for Cochise, opening doors, closets and behind furniture and then I saw Maddie in the bedroom staring at the platform bed.  It had large drawers underneath for storage and I opened one up and there was Cochise! He seemed fine and even a bit miffed that I disturbed him, but he would have been in trouble had he gone undiscovered. Meanwhile, Maddie saved the day and got extra treats and praise.

Cats are very clever and they can disappear through a door, into a drawer, or worse in an instant. Double check everything and make sure you spot your kitty before leaving the house.  Don’t forget your windows. Cats have been known to fall out of windows that are open only 1 inch. If something attracts them outside they might get their nose underneath and work the window until their head gets through. Cats have also been known to fall out of windows that open from the top. Please, always have securely fastened screens in all your windows.

Keep all cleaning products out of reach. Many are poisonous so try to make sure they are safe for animals. Cats continually lick their paws, and they could ingest products from surfaces. I know of someone who had to put child safety locks on her cabinets to keep her curious cat out of harms way. They say an ounce of prevention goes a long way, but its true. As always, I welcome your comments and stories.