Cat Care Guide

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Safety

Catproofing - even though your cat is not a baby, you should still check the following safety hazards.

• Poisonous plants
• Electrical and phone cords left dangling
• Keep toilet lids closed (cats will drink the water, which has chemicals and fecal matter)
• Make certain they cannot get in the fireplace
• Open stairways (cats, puppies, cats and dogs are at great danger in home with a 'half wall' or even open rails on an upstairs room. They can easily fall through or jump over a half wall, pluging down to the floor below! Take precautions!)
• Accessible garbage (especially any kind of bones - bones can either splinter and perforate the stomach or intestines, or form an intestinal blockage)
• Needles and/or thread; knitting and/or crocheting materials
• Rubber bands (which can wrap around the intestines)
• Plastic wrap or bags (the cat can eat, or strangle, or suffocate on)
• Styrofoam (especially packing "peanuts") which the cat may eat
• Cigarettes (cats may eat)
• Yarn or string toys (can wrap around the intestines or block them); toys with easily removed and swallowed parts
• Cellophane (turns glassy in the stomach and can cause internal lacerations)
• Christmas tree needles, tinsel and decorations
• Large appliances - always check for cats before shutting or turning on any appliance!
• Put away feathers and toys attached to string (such as kitty teasers) after use (cats eat feathers and swallow string)
• Keep your workshop off-limits (cats will jump at moving objects such as drills and power saws - may also swallow screws, nails, wire and other small parts)
• Cleaning products and other chemicals (anything with phenyl is deadly to cats - this includse products such as Pineoclean and many other disinfectants)
• Floor and counter surfaces (best solution is to use is one part bleach to 30 parts water)
• Anti-freeze (cats love certain scents, and one of their favorites is antifreeze which will kill a cat quickly)
• Never use Lysol products around cats (over a period of time Lysol can sicken or kill a cat)

Emergency Numbers: Keep the phone numbers of your vet, an emergency 'after hours' clinic, and local poison control center, posted by your phone. The number for the National Animal Poison Control Center is (888) 426-4435 - they may charge $65 for a consultation.

Indoors / Outdoors: When making a decision to keep a cat strictly indoors or sometimes let them outdoors, consider the fact that cats face many dangers when outside such as cat fights, dog attacks, hit by cars, poisoned or killed by people that do not like cats and there are many contagious diseases they can get when outside. Facts clearly show that on the average indoor cats live twice as long as cats allowed to go outdoors. Besides the basics of food and water, give them cat toys, a carpeted kitty condo, a nice window to look out of, some attention and affection and they will be content, as well as safe, indoors. Most animals, not all, usually benefit from having an animal companion of their own species. Provide your cat with a window to look out as most cats enjoy sitting in a window. Many Petsmart or Petco Stores sell window seats. Or place a tall cat climbing carpeted house by the window. If allowing your cat out doors, make sure to give a stretch collar with an ID tag that has two current phone numbers, and a small bell attached to warn wildlife.