| People
are usually pretty good about keeping poisonous substances away from
small children, but did you know that there are quite a few things
we use and see every day which are quite toxic to your cat? Kittens,
particularly, are at risk, since they get into everything.
Here are some potential sources of poison to keep kitty safe from:
Petroleum products, dry cleaning solutions, detergents
in concentrated form (such as those for dishwashers, washing
machines, dry powder carpet cleaners), household bleaches (watch
this one, cats actually like bleach and will lick it!),
disinfectants in concentrated form, corn and callus removers, human
and animal medicines (symptoms of ingestion include vomiting,
panting, acetone breath odor, weakness or collapse), indoor
household plants (poinsettia, diffenbachia or "dumb cane",
mistletoe, azalea, bird of paradise, crocus, foxglove, irises, ivy,
jasmine, larkspur, laurel, lillies, oleander, rhododendron, sweet
pea, wisteria, rhubarb leaves, tomato vines), chocolate, acetone,
benzene, carbon tetrachloride, smoke from cigarettes and cigars,
engine oil, antifreeze (VERY DANGEROUS, cats, especially kittens,
will lap up as much as they can if they find it, and even a tiny
amount can be fatal!), battery acid, grease remover, lye, drain
cleaners, creosote, tar, all herbicides and insecticides, slug and
snail bait, toadstools and fungi.
A word about chocolate: Chocolate is harmful for nearly all pet
animals, not just cats. It contains a substance called "theobromine",
which is a compound similar to caffeine. The darker the chocolate,
the more theobromine it contains. What is safe for a human to ingest
could kill your cat or dog. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include
digestive upset (vomiting and diarrhea), increased heartbeat,
increased urine production causing excessive thirst, muscle
twitching, and convulsions. THERE IS NO KNOWN ANTIDOTE! Keep the
chocolate for the humans only, and don't leave bowls of chocolate
candy out on tables or countertops. Halloween and Christmas are
prime times for accidental overdose for Fluffy or Fido, so be
especially vigilant during those times.
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