October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month. This month is dedicated to promoting the safe practices of handling and caring for both domestic and wild animals. As a cat owner, no doubt your cats are an important part of your lives. Why not do all you can to keep them safe and protected? Below are some tips you can follow.
Cat Safety and Protection Tips
1. Keep your cats up-to-date on vaccinations and annual wellness exams.
Our blog on vaccinations provides five important reasons why getting your cats vaccinated is essential to their health and wellness.
2. Get your cats microchipped
Microchipping is a quick and inexpensive procedure any vet office can perform. Having your cat microchipped is one of the ways our blog on lost pet prevention encourages cat parents to take. It's also a good idea to have a well-lit, colored photo of your cats readily available as another way to identify them should they get lost.
3. Keep anything toxic out of reach
Not sure what plants are toxic to cats? Read our blog on common toxic and non-toxic plants to cats. You can also reference the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant list.
4. Maintain a clean home
If you need a reason to keep your home neat and tidy, cat safety and protection are the perfect reasons. Picking things up off the floor is a simple way to prevent your cats from ingesting items that could pose a choking hazard to them. Some common choking hazards are string, paper clips, hair ties, rubber bands, ribbons, and earrings. The book Think Like A Cat explains that a cat has backward-facing barbs on their tongue so if they eat certain objects they have to swallow them because they can't be dislodged. This can cause very serious injury.
5. Learn basic pet first aid
The Red Cross offers a basic pet first aid course for $25 which can be conveniently taken online. They also have a free mobile app for pet first aid which puts veterinary advice for emergencies as well as everyday pet care in the palm of your hand.
6. Be aware of any changes to your cat's behavior
Cats are unable to communicate verbally so if they're unwell, their behavior and everyday habits will alert us to any potential problems. Get to know what's normal for your cat and use that a baseline. If their appetite or water intake has increased or decreased, if they're going outside the litter box or having difficulty using the litter box, these are reasons to seek veterinary care as soon as possible.
7. Have an escape plan in place
If you need to evacuate your home quickly, have everything set up ahead of time like carriers, extra food, water, litter, and disposable litter pans. If you need a guide, download our free Pet Preparedness Checklist here.
8. Give your cats lots of love and affection
Whether your cats enjoy playtime, treats, exploring, or just lots of snuggles on the couch, make sure they get it regularly. Just like any other member of our family, we want our cats to feel safe and secure at home too.
We would love to help give your cats love and affection when you're away from home. Contact Snuggle Bug Cat Care of Greensboro at info@sbccg.com or submit your request to Become a Client.