Along with various holiday plants that are poisonous to our pets (and children), there are many household items which are also poisonous. These items are so common and prevalent in our homes that we often forget that they are there:

1. ethylene glycol - Most homeowners, especially in northern climates, will recognize this by its more common name: antifreeze. It is a lovely bright yellow-green material that, according to researchers, not me, tastes sweet. Animals get to antifreeze when their owners don't take care of their automobiles, letting antifreeze leak onto the garage floor or driveway. With the winter season here, if you haven't had your car checked to get it through the winter, now's the time.
2. common medications - We all know to keep medicines out of the reach of children, but pets have an advantage in that many of them can jump and have much stronger jaws to bite through plastic containers to get to the medicines. Keep your medicines in closed cabinets.
3. pest control poison and bait traps - I have a friend who had a flea infestation problem this past summer. She used some foggers in the house and the garage and took her dog to the beach for a few hours. Late that night her dog was vomiting and she called me. I'm not a vet, but I've been around dogs and cats all my life, and my friend needed me. I found out that she had accidentally left the dog's dry food and water out in the garage, so it had been poisoned and after an afternoon at the beach, Happy was thirsty and hungry. Snail bait, roach traps, and ant traps can injure or kill, so know where they are and keep them out of reach of your pets.
4. people food - Generally, cats and dogs cannot properly digest food that has been processed for human consumption. That's why they make dog and cat food, so it's best to keep all people food, including table scraps that your dog is begging for, away from our furry little friends. In this situation, our furry little friends also includes rabbits, guinea pigs, hampsters, and pet rats and mice. Absolutely, positively never let your pets eat onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, chocolate, grapes, raisins, coffee, and mushrooms. If you know that your pet has eaten any of those, get it to a vet quickly.
5. garden chemicals and fertilizers - Many people keep these items in the garage, and I can't tell you how many times I see pet doors leading from the house to the garage or from the exterior to the garage. Keep chemicals and fertilizers in a locked cabinet.
6. household cleaners - Quite often these are under the sink cabinets, which is the wrong place to store them for many reasons. My own Zoey the cool cat is quite adept at opening cabinets, drawers, and some doors.
   
   

Life is a journey, not an end.
Remember to enjoy the journey, and take your pets with you.

Be sure to scroll down for titles and quick links to some of my other blog entries.

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Some of Russel Ray's blog entries

1. How the system works (partially) and working the system, or Active Rain point values that I'm aware of
2. Free help for Active Rain newbies
3. 10 ways to get a featured post at ActiveRain
4. How to keep people from reading your Active Rain blog
5. How do you get people to comment on your blog?
6. Using Active Rain more effectively by finding Power Partners
7. Quit putting huge, gigantic, monster pictures in your blog. Now! (Help on resizing them)
8. Using YouTube videos without slowing down page loading
9. Don't forget to remember how Active Rain supports you indirectly
10. How to use the Active Rain system more efficiently
11. How do you choose a subject for your blog posts?