Home Safe Home

When you come home with a new cat, it goes without saying that you want to make your home and garden as safe as possible. But where do you start?

Indoor safety
Many common household objects are highly toxic even in low quantities:

  • Pennies (high concentration of zinc)
  • Mothballs (naphthalene of paradicholorbezine)
  • Potpourri oils, fabric softener sheets, automatic dish detergents (cationic detergents which cause corrosive lesions)
  • Batteries (acids or alkali which cause corrosive lesions)
  • Home-made play dough (high level of salt)
  • Hand or foot warmers (high levels of iron)
  • Cigarettes, leftover coffee grounds, alcohol
  • Chocolate (contains theombromine, a toxin in your cat's system that can't be eliminated).

Never let your cat near where you store your cleaning agents. They contain a range of dangerous properties, from those that irritate the gastrointestinal tract; to those that chemically burn the sensitive mucous membranes of the mouth, oesophagus and stomach.

Store all car-cleaning products safely. Your cat may find anti-freeze very sweet-tasting, but one teaspoon can kill a 3.5kg cat (contains ethylene glycol).

If you use rat or mouse baits, ant or cockroach traps, snail or slug baits, put them in areas that are inaccessible to your cat. Most baits contain sweet-smelling inert ingredients that cats find attractive.

Kitten-proofing your home
Like other intelligent and playful babies, kittens investigate objects by touching, chewing and tasting them. Growing kittens love to explore but need protection from many potentially hazardous household items that are dangerous if swallowed.

  • Get covered rubbish bins for your kitchen and bathroom.
  • Keep kitchen countertops clear to make them less tempting.
  • Store household chemicals and poisons in a locked cabinet.
  • Keep toilet lids down, so your kitten can't fall in.
  • Hide electrical cords and wires out of sight, secured to the wall or tucked behind furniture. Or invest in a new cable tidy.
  • Shorten dangling blind and curtain cords and secure them out of reach.

Keep your kitten away from hazardous plants
Although we think of cats as meat-eaters, many are fond of vegetables and other plant material. Many will sample grass outdoors, or the leaves of a potted houseplant inside. This can be dangerous when the leaves or other parts are toxic.

Ask your vet for a complete list of plants that could be harmful to your cat, but the more common include:

Houseplants
Philodendron
Mistletoe
Poinsettia

Garden plants
Lily
Azalea
Daffodil
Tomato
Foxglove
Yew
Hydrangea

Outdoor safety
Every cat has instincts to establish territory, climb trees, hunt for prey, socialise with other cats, and catnap in the sun. However, being outdoors also exposes your cat to diseases and parasites, getting lost or stolen, injured or killed on the road. So if you have decided to allow your cat outdoors, make sure you've made it as safe as possible.

  • Confine your cat indoors until after the neuter or spay surgery.
  • Keep all vaccinations current. Talk to your vet about new vaccines that protect against contagious feline diseases.
  • Before your cat ventures outdoors, ask your vet about a regular worming routine, flea treatments and, of course, microchipping.
  • If you have a garden and live in a quiet area, install a cat flap and allow your cat access during the day. Invest in a lockable flap so you can keep your pet indoors at night, safe from traffic, predatory animals, and cat thieves.
  • Or build a large cat run in your garden, linked by a cat flap. This should have a warm, weatherproof section and be positioned half in sun and shade. Add a tree trunk or climbing frame, ropes and perches, some grass, a catnip plant, a litter tray and water bowl.
  • If you live in a flat or near a busy road, consider keeping your cat indoors, or use a harness and lead when outdoors. In spite of their intelligence, cats cannot be expected to understand - or learn - that cars are dangerous. Always make sure you check for any cats lying in your drive before you reverse your car.
  • Make sure your cat wears a 'quick release' or 'break-away' collar with an identification tag listing your address and your vet's phone number (the vet's surgery will be open during the day if you are out at work). A reflector strip on the collar will help motorists spot your cat at night.
  • Use an enclosed cat carrier to transport your cat outdoors or by car.
  • Neuter your cat to minimise roaming or fighting with other cats, as well as the transmission of diseases (and, of course, to eliminate the risk of pregnancy).
  • Use chemical herbicides carefully. Restrict access to your garden after applying any chemical, keeping your cat away from your lawn or garden when treating it with fertilisers, herbicides, or insecticides, until the area dries completely.
    Check that nobody in the area is using poison to kill mice and rats. It can be fatal if a cat eats the poison directly or a poisoned rodent.