The Risk Of Poisoning In Cat

A cat enjoys exploring and takes an interest in dark, small places where danger lurks in the form of toxic substances. A cat can occasionally be poisoned by eating or drinking poison, by indirect absorption from eating a poisoned animal, or, more commonly, by licking poison deposited on the fur or paw pads.

Similarly, these substances can be absorbed through the skin itself, particularly through the paw pads.

It is vital to keep household cleaning agents in cupboards with cat proof doors, and anti freezers and weed killers safely locked away in garages and tool sheds.

Always read the labels of such products carefully, if there are warnings of the danger of the contents to children, they are likely to be bad for your cat too. Although a cat is not likely to choose to drink a bottle of paint stripper, it could knock over a bottle containing some.

If a toxic substance is spilled on a surface where a cat is likely to tread, mop it up thoroughly. If you are decorating, keep the cat out of the room. Even the smell of modern decorating materials can affect some cats.

Some of the preparations used to keep garden pests at bay are particularly lethal, as they are spread around the garden. Your cat might eat the bird that ate slug that took the slug pellet, or it just might lick its pads on to which a slug pellet has adhered.

So check the contents of any weed killers, slug bait or growth enhancers and opt for the environmentally friendly varieties. Even these may carry a warning regarding domestic pets, and some cats have particular reactions to some substances that are safe for the majority, so keep alert.

The mouse that the young cat is playing with could carry toxins picked up at earlier point in the food chain. A robust ginger no pedigree is seeking out some green stuff to supplement his diet. Most cats instinctively avoid potentially poisonous plants.