For most people, a pet is not just another animal. Many people consider a pet as part of their family. The care, attention, and love gave to a pet speak volumes. However, many people do not put their pets’ safety in mind when buying or constructing a home.
Yet, a pet is not developed emotionally and psychologically to avoid danger and other forms of harm. As a result, the responsibility lies on the pet owner to ensure that every form of hazard in and around the home is effectively managed.
You can do simple things to keep your home safe for your four-legged friend. This article sheds light on five simple things you can do to avoid incidence with your pets.
1. Keep medications out of Reach
Some pets could be too curious. At times, this curiosity could get the best of them. Besides, their brain is not matured enough to differentiate between something helpful and something hazardous.
Reports from Pet Poison Helpline reveal that one of the top pet poisoning cases is medication. While all medicine is dangerous, a few of the most hazardous ones are:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil – damages their stomach and kidney, causing severe health issues.
- Antidepressant drugs can trigger severe neurological damage when you consider the size and dosage.
- Acetaminophen is fatal, which can make the liver fail.
In summary, be sure to keep medications out of reach of pets. Make sure you have a locked cabinet where it will be difficult for pets to access. Also, putting medicines on top of cabinets might not work, especially if you have cats that love climbing; make sure to visit the vet immediately after your pet ingest such.
2. Be Careful with Electrical Cords
Electrical safety is one of the essential safety tips one needs to be aware of with pets. Many people could leave their phones and other devices plugged in overnight. The presence of a series of wires in the house could be fascinating for pets.
This comes with the risk of electrical shock because your pet could chew on it. Your pet might also pull a heavy object like a lamp over themselves, which could trigger injury. A couple of safety precautions to note are:
- Keep the switch power cord out of their reach.
- Spray your cords with a deterrent spray. Your pets will not chew on it as the spray repels them.
- Use a cord organizer to keep your cords together and keep them away from pets.
Photo by Milada Vigerova from Pexels
3. Pet Proof Your Kitchen
One of the places that pose a significant threat to your pet in the kitchen. Think about the presence of knives, inflammable objects, thrash can, detergents, etc. Yet, not all these are friendly to your pet.
With this, a pet owner’s responsibility is to put all dangerous items away, safely in a drawer or out of reach. Hide knives and other things with sharp edges in a drawer. Make sure all detergents and other cooking accessories are neatly tucked away.
Make sure to always close your washing machines. Some pets love to climb inside a warm and cosy place, which is not suitable for them.
Some pets might have allergic reactions to foods and house plants that seem harmless. With this, be sure to keep such foods and other liquids away in a place that they cannot reach.
Dogs, for instance, are particularly allergic to things like chocolate, grapes, and raisins. Lily pollens might be life-threatening to cats. These are a few examples of food items you should watch out for.
4. Watch out for Choking Hazards
We all have many small items we use every day like keys, remote controls, pens, batteries, paper clips, etc., which can become a choking hazard for our pets. Even though these items seem harmless, it can become a terrible issue if your pet thinks such a thing will be fun to chew on.
This calls for a review of everything in your house or areas where your pets access the most. Try and store these items out of reach of pets. A closed cabinet or high up the shelf will be a terrific idea. You can also keep such things in a closed pantry or seal them in a box that will not be opened easily.
5. Keep the Garage Out of Reach
Many people tend to store hazardous items and chemicals in the garage. The garage is most likely to have insecticides, herbicides, bug poisons, and other substances to keep the car running in top condition.
Unfortunately, a toxic substance like antifreeze could appeal to the taste bud, yet it can kill them. If you cannot keep your dog out of your garage, make sure such items are locked away. One could employ a pet-safe barrier to keep such chemicals out of reach of dogs and other pets.
Photo by Samson Katt from Pexels
Conclusion
One of the duties of a responsible pet owner is to keep the house safe for pets. This comes down to being proactive and watching out for hazardous materials that could harm them.
We have explored five safety tips to keep your house safe for pets. It will go a long way in preventing unplanned occurrences with your pet.
