Household Hazards and Your Feline Friends

Some random useful information:

Perdue Veterinary School lists plants that are toxic to animals, and especially pets. Click on each link for the plant photo, description, symptoms, first aid and more.

See my basic article called How NOT to Poison Your Cat for some general ideas on cat proofing — hint: it is a a lot like toddler-proofing your home — and for the same reasons! :-)

One of our cats was chewing on an electrical cord. Not good. It turns out her gums were bothering her. Nipped in the bud so to speak. More intensive at home dental care was begun.

With the holidays coming:

Keep wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors and tape away from cats. Clean up any bits leftover from wrapping gifts. Your cat may try to eat some of it!

No traditional holiday plants are safe for cats!!!
If you can reach the plant, so can your cat.

If you use a wood or pellet stove as many of our neighbors do, protect your cats from getting burned paws or singed fur.

Some Possibilities:

  • Keep your cats out of the room the stove is in
  • Don’t use your the stove
  • Clicker train your cats to avoid the area
  • Buy tall fireplace safe un-tippable three wall barriers to keep your cats at least 2 feet from the stove

None of these is actually foolproof, except not using the stove. Jennifur was taught to avoid the wood stove. Two winters ago, after one of her more exuberant mad dashes around the family room, we smelled singed fur. Haven’t used our wood stove since.

Books for Cat Lovers

For some reason, a lot of our friends like cats, too. So I was recently browsing for gift ideas and thought I would share a few of the more unusual cat-related books I found.

The Sneeze-Free Cat Owner: Allergy Management & Breed Selection for the Allergic Cat Lover

100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History’s Most Influential Felines

101 Best Businesses for Pet Lovers


Angel Cats: Divine Messengers of Comfort

The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats

Fleas, Fleas — What can I do?

Go to BeyondFleas.com!

They cover everything you could possible want to know including:

  • Identifying if your cat or dog actually has fleas
  • How to use each of the over the counter or prescription medications
  • How to control and exterminate fleas inside and outside your home — using professionals or as a DIYer
  • Life cycle of the flea
  • How to treat flea bites
  • Natural remedies for controlling fleas
  • “Bombing” (fumigating) your home for insects and spiders

So stop scratching — and visit BeyondFleas.com!

Cat-Related Children’s Toys

I was in the family room to see what my younger son was watching on TV this Saturday morning. The usual run of commercials showed up. One was pleasantly surprising: a veterinary hospital play set! I remember the LEGO zoo and farm play sets we bought when the boys were younger. Not much else was available, except for stuffed animals of varying quality.

I was intrigued. We like toys that stimulate the imagination and allow for role playing, while teaching our children to think. So I went on a short hunt for other pet-related play sets and toys. These toys can also be used to stimulate family discussions about nurturing, being responsible for a pet’s life, etc. Or just for fun.

Fisher Price has Sonya Lee and Her Pet Salon and Chutes and Ladders with a pet twist: Rescue Hero’s Pet Rescue

FurReal Friends: Jungle Cat (Leopard Cub) or the tamer Calico or Marmalade

Gund My Little Kitty Playset

A few of Hasbro’s Pet Shop play set and add-ons:
Littlest Pet Shop Little Lovin’ Pet Playhouse
Cat & Dog
Persian Cat with Carrier

Even the venerable toy icon Barbie has Barbie Pet Doctor Kit with Cat

Then there are these imagination prompting play sets, too:
Deluxe Complete Little Kitten Care Set for Children

Learning Resources: Pretend and Play Animal Hospital

Parents’ Animal Hospital

Step2′s Village Veterinarian Accessory Set

Take Your Cat on Vacation

While not the easiest to navigate, Pets Welcome.com is a great place to visit. They present detailed information on pet friendly Hotels and Motels in the U.S. and Canada, describing their site as having over 25,000 pet friendly hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches listed.

Search under Country, then by state or province, then by city. Many hotels/motels charge fees for pets ranging from $10 to $100 (not exactly pet-friendly). Some say dogs only, or that no pet must be left alone, or crated only. Once you find a hotel you like, you can click through for more information. Pets Welcome says they even have negotiated rates with some of these places.

I am amazed at how many hotel/motel chains accept pets these days!

They also list pet sitters and lots of other useful information for those who won’t leave home without their furry friends.

Enjoy exploring…and vacationing!