Chapter 6: How to Pet Proof Your Home

Cats and dogs, as well as a variety of animals can be considered pets. Pets are a common part of households and are considered to be family members. Fido and Fluffy are loved as dearly as children are and safety precautions need to be put in place so the pets can live a happy and long life. Pets can sometimes act like children, they want to know what everything is and if it smells good they will likely want to eat or drink the item. Just like children the pets do not know what is good for them and what is not good for them.

If you have children you know what needs to be implemented to keep them safe. Pet proofing your home is very similar to child proofing your home. Fluffy and Fido act a lot like kids and need the same safety precautions as well as other ones that are specific to animals. Make sure that toxic liquids like alcohol, chemicals for cleaning and other things, pills, and food that could be toxic as well as packaging are put away in a place where the pet cannot reach or access the items. Find out what foods are toxic to your pet and make sure those are put away from the pet. You might want to consider locking cabinets like you would for a child if you cannot find a spot that would be out of the animal’s reach.

Make sure there are no spaces where a pet could get in and get trapped. You might want to fix the spaces so that the pet cannot get stuck there. Make sure pets cannot access the toilet to drink the water as the water is not always clean for their consumption.

In other areas of the house make sure the floor and walls are clear of dangerous wires, strings, or other things that a pet could get tangled in or injured when moving about. Keep in mind animals are curious and if you have plants they could be toxic to the pet. Pets may want to eat the animals and get sick or die from such a plant.

When it comes to where you park your car make sure the animal is not under your car or hiding in a part of the car. Make sure to clean all fluids that come from the car so that an animal will not drink and die from such a chemical spill. A lot of chemicals in cars are highly toxic to pets.

When you have pets you have to make your house safe for them. They are like children and want to sniff or eat anything that looks or smells good. As a pet parent you have to take every precaution to make sure your pet is safe. Keep in mind when you take them on a walk to be aware of what they sniff and try to consume, as well. Take your pet to the vet immediately if you think your animal consumed something that may be toxic to their health.