Keep these items away from your cat:
Household Cleaners:
Ammonia, disinfectants, fabric softener and bleach. Keep chemicals and cleaners securely locked away.
Indoor Plants:
Mistletoe, marijuana, poinsetta, tobacco, cactus, dumb cane, and philodendron.
Outdoor Plants:
Azaleas, daffodils, horse chestnuts, tulips, wild mushrooms, rhubarb, and morning glories
Coca mulch, can also hurt your cat.
Pesticides: Rat poisons, bug sprays
Personal Items:
Antidepressant and prescription drugs, hairspray and nail polish.
Other Items:
String, yarn, rubber bands, and dental floss are easy to swallow and can cause intestinal blockages or strangulation. Insect control products, such as the insecticides used in many over-the-counter flea and tick remedies, may be toxic to companion animals.
Human medications such as pain killers, aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. Cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, anti-depressants, vitamins, and diet pills can all be toxic to animals. Always keep medication containers, and tubes of ointments and creams away from pets. If you drop a pill, make sure you find it immediately and dispose of it.
Holiday decorations and lights are beautiful, however they do pose a risk to cats and dogs. Keep these items out of the reach of pets.
We all use Pine Sol, but did you know that this cleaning solution containing high concentrations of pine oil, and alcohols derived from pine tree wood. Turpentine is another product that has pine oil terpenes. Cats are particularly sensitive to pine oils because they lack an efficient liver enzyme system to detoxify them.
Cats are sensitive to Lysol cleaner but not only because of their sensitivity to the alcohol in the product, but because this cleaner also contains phenols. Cats have problems detoxifying this type of poison due to the low efficiency of the detoxifying liver enzymes.
Furniture polish may contain petroleum distillates which are toxic to cats . Avoid using mothballs in the outdoor environment they are toxic to wildlife. Boric acid dust or solution is corrosive and toxic to pets, and commonly found in ant killer and cleaners.
When using fertilizer, as with lawn weed killer products, read manufacturer instructions carefully. Some granular and liquid sprays contain enough concentrated nutrients so that contact exposure can lead to paw irritation.
Be careful with pressure treated wood. The slow release around the wood of the impregnated fungicide can contaminate their water.
Dispose of old batteries. If a cat brushes up against an old leaky battery, the acids transferred to the fur can lead to burns of the tongue during grooming, or chemical burns.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), states that cigarettes contain nicotine. If a cat eats too much tobacco they can become ill. Symptoms include vomiting, agitation, diarrhea and increased breathing rate. The cat can experience weakness, muscle twitching, and could go into a coma and possibly die.
Licking up antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid and gasoline can cause your cat to become ill. Antifreeze does not have much of an odor or foul taste and your cat is likely to lap it up without thinking. Some brands of antifreeze have gone so far as to use additives in their products to make them less attractive to animals. It only takes a small amount, less than a tablespoon, to be fatal to your cat because of liver damage. Be sure to keep your cat away when you are working with antifreeze and clean up any spills immediately and dispose of the clean-up rags properly
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), also states that the signs of ethylene glycol antifreeze poisoning really depend on the amount of time that has lapsed since ingestion. Approximately thirty minutes to an hour after ingesting antifreeze, grogginess, disorientation and lethargy may occur. The initial signs for ethylene glycol antifreeze may look like drunkenness. Vomiting, diarrhea and ultimately kidney failure will follow 12 to 24 hours later. Since there is a narrow window of opportunity for managing antifreeze poisoning before kidney damage occurs, it is critical to get your cat to a veterinarian for prompt treatment.
Do not let your cat drink from puddles. These products taste appealing to pets but most are lethal to animals when ingested. So thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle. Also, keep your pets far away from any suspect puddles.
Never, ever give your cat chicken bones.
The experts at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center set the record straight. As the Premier Animal Poison Control Center in North America, they are your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, make the call that can make all the difference: (888) 426-4435. A $65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card.
