Protect Your Pets in Your Home

Is your dog your best friend? Is your cat? 

Either way, it is up to you to ensure that they are kept out of harm’s way! 

Most of us assume that our home is the safest place for our pet, but there are common household items that can be potentially harmful to your pet – sometimes even lethal. Sometimes we don’t even know that they are a danger.

Who doesn’t enjoy the taste of chocolate or a hot cup of coffee? How about the smell of fresh flowers? Well, if you like these things then you can bet your pet does too! 

Foods and plants left within your pets reach may seem like a great treat for them, but they may actually cause more harm than good. Here are some common foods and plants that can be toxic if ingested by your dog or cat:

Coffee (all varieties)

Chocolate (all varieties)
Onions/onion powder
Raisins and grapes 
Lilies (most kinds)

This is just a small list of items to watch out for! 

Some may not have surprised you but there are many that we are not aware of. The easiest way to prevent your best friend from ingesting harmful foods or plants is to keep them out of reach. 

Sometimes you will need to be inventive with your hiding spots, because if your pet wants to munch on something they are not supposed to, they certainly can be creative!

“Keep out of reach” is the motto for keeping your pet safe! This applies not only to food and plants, but to household cleaners, gardening equipment, and other various items. 

Adding antifreeze to your vehicle? Make sure to clean up any spill in the correct manner, as a small amount of the sweet-tasting liquid can be very harmful, even lethal. The best way to clean it up is to cover it with sawdust, or better yet, clumping cat litter! This will absorb all of the liquid, and allow you to easily sweep it up. 

Keep in mind that this not only applies to your driveway or garage, but to the roadways as well. Any dog or cat walking by could easily lap up this harmful substance before their owners realize that it is there!

Fertilizing your lawn? Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully, paying close attention to the time that should lapse before your pet can walk on that area again. Most fertilizers are harmful if ingested, and can cause damage to little paws as well.

If you think that your pet may have ingested a toxic substance, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

For more information on what the items mentioned above, as well as many other potentially poisonous or toxic items, please visit the

 ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center