Hidden Household Dangers For Cats

What is Safe For Humans May Not Be Safe For Cats

Laurie Coughlan

Open stairwells can be hazardous for any cat, but especially so for younger kittens.

Cats are known for their curiosity and talent for getting into things. When adding a cat to the family, most people are aware of the need to make adjustments in living spaces. It’s very much like child-proofing a house: removing potential hazards and perhaps moving fragile items that sit near the edge of tables, windowsills, and mantels. You become aware of not slamming doors, drawers and cabinets lest little paws be caught. You check the location of the cat before returning the recliner to upright position to avoid catching a cat in the mechanism inside the chair. You walk with a little more care to avoid tripping over another life form. You lock up commonly used cleaning supplies and insecticides, and secure paints, epoxies, and glues in the garage or hobby room. Just about any cleaning supplies or products you store under the kitchen sink or in the garage are probably bad for your cat. You are off to a good start, but specific cat-proofing of a home is more challenging due to some distinct cat behaviors and sensitivities to certain foods and chemicals. This means that despite your common-sense efforts to prepare, your home may contain hidden hazards for your cat.

One important factor is that cats groom themselves by licking. That means that anything the cat walks through, rubs on, or has spilled on it will be licked off and will enter the cat’s digestive system. Add to that a cat’s sensitivity to common human foods: chocolate, onions, grapes, raisins, caffeine, and even raw dough that ferments in a cat’s digestive tract and creates ethanol. There are many ways for a cat to poison itself in a seemingly clean and safe setting. Chemical threats come from unlikely places, like essential oils used in cooking and deodorizing. Because cats cannot metabolize the toxins in many essential oils, these can be deadly if swallowed or even touched. Another unlikely threat comes from the flea preventatives made for dogs, which contain elements that can poison a cat.

Make certain that all windows and other potential openings to the outside are secure so that cats cannot accidentally get out.

After carefully securing those dangerous items, it can be disconcerting to realize that even the common habit of a cat napping on a windowsill among plants can be dangerous, as an amazing number of common houseplants are poisonous to cats. Plants used for holiday celebrations are particularly deadly, including lilies, mistletoe, holly berries, and poinsettia. Holidays in general can be hazardous to cats, an example being unaware of the dangers of a candle’s open flame which could set their tails on fire. They may take advantage of increased traffic in and out of the house to escape. They get caught in shopping bag handles, or risk suffocation playing with plastic bags.

Cats tend to treat new objects as potential prey, pawing at them and picking them up in their mouths. They are attracted to ribbons, garlands, rubber bands, tinsel, and thread, but unfortunately tend to swallow those items, sometimes requiring surgery. Dr. Stuart Ellis of Advanced Veterinary Complex in Reisterstown, MD, shared that a large percentage of cat surgeries were the result of swallowed objects, including string, cord, dental floss, and small objects like batteries, coins, or buttons. Hair ties, ear plugs, and ear buds show up a lot in surgery. Human medications dropped on the floor can be scarfed up and result in poisoning. Even cat toys may present swallowing hazards, so supervised play is the best option. Cats (especially teething kittens) also like to chew on electrical cords. Thin cords used to charge phones and laptops are particularly tempting, and present danger of both electrocution and swallowing bits of cord. Fortunately, there is a nasty-tasting spray designed to deter cats from chewing cords.

Dryers are appealing to cats because they are secluded, often warm, and may have soft clothes. Keep washers and dryers off limits for cat, or at least keep closed and check before using.

The cat’s curiosity often finds it in inappropriate places. They are quick to dart into and out of doors and cabinets, resulting in possible escape to the outdoors, imprisonment, or having doors slammed on tails or paws. Many an exploring cat has found itself closed in a closet, dryer, basement, or attic. Many like to explore high places like balconies, high shelves and stairways. For a species known for grace and agility, it is surprising how often cats fall from these heights, often in the midst of a nap. Dr. Betsy Arnold of Rochester, NY, notes that she has treated multiple cats for falls from unsecured window screens and open balconies. Sometimes blocking access is the safest thing to do.

Getting a cat is in some ways very much like bringing a toddler into your home — an agile, athletic, super curious toddler determined to explore. Taking the time to consider a cat’s normal behavior and its sensitivity to specific chemicals, human foods, and plants can help avoid emergency medical situations. Once you have considered these hazards and taken steps to avoid them, you may more easily enjoy your time playing and socializing with your cat.

A Quick Reference Guide to Common Household Hazards:

  • Electrical cords
  • Insecticides
  • Cleaning products
  • Paints, glues, and epoxies
  • Essential oils
  • High places (balconies, high shelves, stairways)
  • Medications, particularly painkillers and antidepressants
  • Flea preventatives formulated for dogs
  • Small swallowable objects like ear buds and hair ties
  • String, yarn, thread, and dental floss
  • Unsecured windows
  • Slamming doors/cabinets
  • Unintended prisons (closets, basements, dryers)
  • Plants
Plants are tempting for most cats. Do ensure that any houseplant or cut flowers you may have in your home are not hazardous to cats.

Poisonous Plants

  • Aloe Vera
  • Bird of Paradise
  • Chrysanthemums
  • Daffodils
  • Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)
  • English Ivy
  • Hyacinth
  • Jade Plant
  • Kalanchoe
  • Lily — any variety
  • Mistletoe
  • Peace Lily
  • Philodendron
  • Poinsettia
  • Pothos
  • Oleander
  • Sago Palm
  • Snake Plant
  • Tulip
  • Yew

Essential Oils

(toxic to cats by touch or ingestion)

  • Cinnamon
  • Citrus
  • Clove
  • Eucalyptus
  • Pennyroyal
  • Peppermint
  • Pine
  • Sweet Birch
  • Tea Tree
  • Wintergreen
  • Ylang Ylang
  • Wintergreen

If you suspect that a cat has been exposed to something toxic, take it to an emergency veterinary clinic. In addition, you may consult by phone with the ASPCA 24/7 Animal Poison Control Hotline at 888-426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855)764-7661.

 

Laurie Coughlan

Laurie Coughlan has spent a lifetime with cats, from the cat that shared her crib to the many her family rescued from rural roads to the household pet she showed in CFA. Laurie’s true love is her Egyptian Maus, which she has shown for twenty-five-plus years. She is active in cat clubs, show production, clerking, and volunteer committee work for CFA.