Pet-proof your home You've heard of baby-proofing, but it's also important to pet-proof your home. Cats and dogs can easily get into items that you might think are safe (for example, cats may love to roll around in fabric softener sheets, but these sheets can cause burns in or on the mouth or even ulcers on the stomach or intestines.) Here, we list some poisonous or harmful items commonly found in the home―keep these products in a cabinet or drawer where pets can't reach them.
Kitchen:
- Disinfectants
- Pine oil
- Dishwashing detergent
- Foods such as chocolate, grapes and onions are harmful to pets―check www.aspca.org, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Web site, for a full list.
Bathroom:
- Medicines such as vitamins, antidepressants, diet pills, ibuprofen, acetaminophen and aspirin
- Products such as shower, toilet bowl and drain cleaners
- Floss (if swallowed, it could get stuck in your pet's intestines and cause blockage)
Laundry room:
- Fabric softener sheets
- Bleach
Living room:
- Houseplants and flowers such as lilies, azaleas and tulips; go to www.hsus.org, the Humane Society of the United States' Web site, for a list of poisonous plants
- Electrical cords (if your dog or cat chews on a cord, it could shock, burn or electrocute them)
Garage/shed:
- Alkaline batteries (if your animal chews on a battery, they could suffer from ulcers on the mouth, stomach or intestines)
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