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23
Tips to pet proof your home for this school year
The mad dash out the door each morning has begun yet again. With school bells now ringing across the Gulf Coast, the adjustment to back-to-school life after a summer of fun is in full swing.
But as the kids are trying to find charging cords and you're doing your best to remember to hand them lunches before rushing out the door, it's easy to forget the family members that are staying at home this school year: your pets.
If you got a new pet during quarantine last year, chances are this school year is the first true test of them staying at home full time. Even if it isn't, we've all gotten out of the habit of going places regularly – and the same is true for Fido. You may have already come across some chewed up pillows in the first few weeks back -- or even a hole in your flower bed -- but even if you haven't, you're going to want to take bit of time to pet proof your home for this school year. That saying about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure is true. Your kitten's health often can't be fixed as easily as your flower beds.
Inside Your Home
Even if you're exercising your pets regularly before leaving in the morning and offering them toys filled treats to keep the entertained while you're away, you still run the risk of them getting into something they shouldn't. American Humane recommends these basic tips to help keep your pets safe at home this school year:
- Keep any cleaning products, bug killers and medicines in high cabinets with child proof locks. They may be better at opening cabinets and doors than should be possible without opposable thumbs.
- Close toilet lids.
- Remove couch pillows while you are out of the house.
- Firmly close all doors to areas you would like to prevent your pets from entering while you're gone.
- Consider creating a charging station in your home that is well above dog level and covered to prevent cat paws from swiping anything. Include any regularly used cords here to help you stay organized and keep them from ending up in a furry friend.
- Check to make sure your houseplants are non-poisonous. Peace lilies are a no-go for homes with pets as are several others. Make sure your pets are in the clear.
- If it's on ground level, they may just consider it theirs, so pick up socks, shoes and other clothing off the floor before you leave each morning.
In Your Yard
It's easy to think that leaving your pets outside is safer than leaving them in the house – or at the very least it would be less messy – but that's not always the case. Your pets are far from wild animals and can get themselves into quite a bit of trouble in the backyard. Check out these tips from the American Kennel Club to help keep your pooch from digging themselves a hole they can't handle:
- Fence your yard if at all possible. For cats, you may want to think about an outdoor enclosure that's big enough for them to run and contains something to climb since a fence likely wouldn't do much unless you have roller bar attachments. If you have a pool, fence around it as well.
- Be aware of when any fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides are used, and keep your animals away from the yard for the recommended amount of time.
- Put stakes throughout flower beds to keep animals from laying in them.
- Ensure your pets have enough water and plenty of shade if they spend most of the day outside.
- Keep your lawn trimmed as ticks are more likely in tall grasses.
- Ensure your yard does not contain any dangerous plants for your pets, especially at their eye level. The Gulf Coast is known for our azaleas, but ingesting them can cause can cause cardiac arrest in both dogs and cats. Hydrangeas and lilies are also poisonous. Use the ASPCA's Poisonous Plants Guide to help you determine if your yard may need a bit of an animal friendly makeover.
