The summer of 2020 stands out as a challenging time for the planet. Summertime is supposed to be outdoor time. But many people are shuttered indoors. Pets and their pet parents are spending more time together. And quality time includes pet safety – indoors and out.
Indoor Pet Safety
Sometimes pet parents are complacent when it comes to indoor pet safety. Complacent means ignoring safety signs to protect your pet. For example, we forget to close cabinet doors, leave food on the counter or forget to give our pets clean water.
A few indoor pet safety tips include:
- Non-toxic plants: Palm trees, African violets and Spider plants are safe for cats and dogs. Learn to recognize safe plants for your pets. And visit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) database of toxic plants. Think pet safety and stop by before you decorate your home with greenery.
- Keep kitty indoors: Indoor cats live longer and enjoy a better quality of life than outdoor cats. When you let kitty outside overnight, he’s exposed to dangers from predators, cars, diseases, and other cats. Give them interactive toys for good physical and mental health. Or build a DIY catio or cat superhighway.
- Store food safely: Store tempting food in cabinets or the refrigerator. For example, a family left a pan of cooked rice on the stove from dinner the night before. The next morning, the family left the dog alone in the house, for about five minutes. The dog jumped on the stove to dine on a rice meal. He accidentally turned on the stove and nearly burned the house down. Luckily, a letter carrier heard the smoke alarms and called 911. The scared doggy and the family house were both saved. We can’t blame our pets for being curious. Indoor pet safety is a pet parent responsibility. Avoid doggy temptation.
- Indoor pet proofing: More and more caring pet parents are adopting senior and special needs pets. Pet proof your home with anti-skid rugs to prevent senior pets from slips and falls. Add safety gates to keep pets with vision loss or mobility challenges from falling down stairs. Place booster benches and doggy stairs to help senior pets hop on the mattress with ease.
- Monitor playtime. Cats are natural hunters and will stalk movement. They love chasing ribbon, string, yarn and shoelaces. Stalking can be fun to watch but cats and dogs can swallow small toys, strings, beads and shiny objects. Enjoy playtime but also monitor your pet’s playtime.
- Hidden danger from snack bags. Suffocation is a hidden danger in our homes: Pets can suffocate from snack bags, pet food bags, cereal bags, garbage bags, and resealable bags. Avoid this threat and put snack, cereal, and dry pet foods into resealable hard containers. Open both ends of the snack bag. Or tear or cut all chip and food storage bags before discarding. Throw snack bags into a sturdy covered trashcan or behind a cabinet door.
Outdoor Pet Safety
A few outdoor pet safety tips include:
- Basic pet training: If you let your cat outdoors, be sure to bring her inside before dark. Leash train your cat and take her for walks, on the trail, and around the yard safely. Use a non-retractable dog leash to train your pet not to pull or ignore your commands.
- Car pet safety #1: This pet parent tip should be a no brainer: NEVER LEAVE YOUR PET IN A HOT CAR. NEVER. Pets can quickly die from heatstroke if left in a hot car. In just 10 minutes, the temperature in your car can increase by almost 20º F. In 20 minutes, temperatures can rise by almost 30º F. It means that in 70º degree weather, the temperature in your car can reach 110 degrees! Be smart. Protect your pets. Never leave your pet alone in a hot car, even for a few minutes!
- Car pet safety #2: Many pet parents let their pets freely roam inside a moving car. Doggy heads and paws hanging outside the car are an invitation to danger. And pets riding in an open truck bed are at greater risk for harm. Think safety and buy a good car harness for your dog and cat carrier for your cat. Keep them as safe as you are when driving on the road.
- Microchip and tag your pet. Collar tags imprinted with your pet’s name and the contact phone number of their owner or veterinarian are useful. But tags wear out or can slip off. Pet microchips are more stable (don’t wear out or disappear) and the identification number cannot be changed or removed. And remember to keep your contact information current in the National Pet Recovery Database.
- Pet water safety: Many families and their pets are spending time on the water. A required piece of equipment for people and pets is a life jacket. Many dogs (and some cats) love the water, but can’t swim for very long. Pet life jackets save lives. Practice your due diligence to find the best type of life jacket for your pet.
Enjoy a safe and happy summer for you and your pets!
Thanks for stopping by!
Dr. Pet Mom
“You cannot share your life with a dog…or a cat, and not know perfectly well that animals have personalities and minds and feelings.”
–Jane Goodall