Puppies and kittens are famous for their insatiable curiosity and extreme energy. There is so much for them to explore and they have boundless enthusiasm for it. So, naturally, many things in your home are sure to attract your new pet’s attention. Objects like hair ties, toys, and other small items can cause potentially fatal choking or intestinal obstruction. Other dangers include a wide array of foods and chemical cleaning agents that are highly toxic to dogs and cats. By pet proofing your home, you can give your new furry little friend a safe home and happy life.
How to Pet Proof Your Home
Caring for a fast-moving little kitten or puppy requires removing safety hazards as you would baby-proof your home if you had a new toddler starting to run freely in the house. Here are some good tips on ways to pet proof your home:
FOR CATS: Since cats are climbers and also love hiding under furniture, look thoroughly both up high and down low or hazards to kittens.
FOR DOGS: Since dogs are so talented at finding anything that they can chew or fit in their mouths, meticulously search all accessible areas within your dog’s jumping height. But, the top advice on how to dog proof a room is to literally get down on the floor and crawl on your knees to look around and under the furniture for hazards when proofing your home for your new puppy.
Anything a puppy or kitten can fit in its mouth is a hazard. For example, electrical cords, phone chargers, and window blind cords may be hazards in nearly every room of your home.
Pet-Proofing Room-by-Room
In addition to cords, let’s look at some other typical household items that are hazardous to pets:
Living Room
The living room or family room is where you’ll likely spend the most time with your pet in your home. That means your pet has even more time in this room to discover harmful things. Make sure all children’s toys, school supplies like pencils, pens, craft items like sewing or knitting needles, thread, markers, craft paints, art brushes, and other such objects out of your pet’s reach. Also, remove objects of home decor from low table tops and keep them on higher shelves. Plan on living with the new arrangement temporarily, just until your pet matures.
Laundry Room
Items of concern in your laundry room are likely to be tiny objects that have fallen out of pockets, such as coins and tiny hair combs. Also, bleach, detergents, stain remover sticks, dryer sheets, socks, and house slippers, should be secured in cabinets. Pets may also chew on exposed vent ductwork, water lines, etc.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms may seem relatively safe, but there are clothes, belts, and shoes to chew, furniture to destroy, and numerous small items to swallow or hide in there or in other rooms. Don’t give your puppy old socks or shoes as homemade toys because all your shoes smell delicious and a puppy cannot distinguish those he/she may chew from those that are prohibited. Also, keep all hair accessories, jewelry, remotes, cell phone chargers, dentures, and open handbags out of reach of your puppy.
Bathroom
The bathroom can be a small world of big hazards for a puppy or kitten. Hair accessories, rubber bands, dental floss, razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, cotton swabs, makeup, applicators, and other personal items are appealing and dangerous to curious puppies. For more examples, rubber bands are a choking hazard and toothpaste contains xylitol, which is highly toxic to pets. Many medications and bathroom cleaning products are also poisonous to pets. And make a habit of keeping the toilet lid down to eliminate the attraction for your pet.
Kitchen
Potential hazards for pets in the kitchen may include foods containing raisins, grapes, chocolate, onions, garlic, avocados, onions, garlic, vitamins, coffee, and medication. Research online for lists of foods that are dangerous to cats and dogs. Remember that as your cat or dog grows to a stronger or larger size, he/she can reach higher surfaces. In the meantime, items dropped on the floor, like toothpicks, rubber bands, delicious garbage can contents, and more. If necessary, consider having a baby gate across your kitchen entrance.
Garage
The garage is another area of serious concern. When your pet has access to it, even if that happens rarely or only unintentionally, within seconds he or she can ingest chemicals such as deadly and apparently good-tasting antifreeze that kills many pet animals throughout the country by being left open and accessible. Rat poison left open to bait rodents is also responsible for many pet deaths. So, be sure to store these deadly agents in pet-safe locations.
Yard
Hopefully, you will provide your dog or cat with the great freedom that a pet door affords. Finally, be sure to pet-proof your yard too. Inspect your yard carefully to identify harmful plants growing there. For example, azaleas, Easter Lilies, poinsettias, and other flowers and plants are toxic to pet animals. Fertilizers, mulch, and insecticides are also dangerous to pets. Many websites offer lists of plants that are toxic to dogs and cats.
Growing a Happy and Well-Behaved Pet
Training and guiding your new puppy or kitten toward becoming a well-mannered little companion requires a lot of patience, positive reinforcement, and sticking with it. Cats and dogs cannot reason as well as humans do. Furniture upholstery looks like a great scratching surface, and table legs look like just more chew sticks like those that they’re allowed to enjoy in the yard. But being consistent and keeping your sense of humor will yield wonderful years of happy companionship.
A Pet Door Gives Your Pet the Best Quality of Life
Installing a pet door for your cat or dog upgrades the quality of your pet’s life in your home. There is no greater improvement you can make in the life of a domestic pet than providing a sense of greater freedom. Pet Door Products offers today’s state-of-the-art cat and dog doors. Choose from our revolutionary pet doors for sliding glass doors, standard wall mount, window mount, or solid door mount pet access doors.
For information or to order an energy-efficient pet door, call Pet Door Products at (801) 973-8000, or contact us here online anytime!
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