Before introducing a cat into your home, it is recommended that you take the following precautions: When securing the house, put away anything that you would not leave in the presence of a 2-year-old. Remember that cats are expert jumpers and climbers and that their curiosity knows no bounds. This means that questionable objects cannot be placed “out of reach.” They must be locked up.
• Keep all medicines away from cats, especially over-the-counter painkillers. Aspirin and ibuprofen are toxic to them, as is the analgesic acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol).
• Antifreeze is deadly to felines. Secure all antifreeze containers and clean up spills immediately.
• Put away all cleaning products. Because cats can learn how to open cabinets, secure the products behind doors with child-safety latches.
• Remove potentially dangerous plants, such as peonies, lilies, hyacinths, mistletoes, and evergreens.
• Keep the toilet bowl lid down. Kittens can drown if they fall in. Adult cats can poison themselves by drinking treated water from a toilet.
• If you display cut flowers, make sure every element of the arrangement is nontoxic to cats.
• Secure the entrance to your fireplace and shut the flue. An inquisitive cat may track sooty paw prints all over the house. A highly inquisitive (and athletic) feline may end up on the roof.
• Do not allow cats onto high balconies.
• Secure all plastic bags. A cat who plays in one may suffocate.
• Do not leave ironing boards (particularly with an iron atop) sitting out. These are inherently unstable and will topple when a cat jumps on them.
• Fasten window screens securely.
• Cover electrical cords in plastic or rubber runners to keep the feline from chewing them.
• Put away small objects such as coins, nails, marbles, or anything else a cat can swallow.
• Refrain from lighting candles and leaving them unattended. Cats are drawn to warmth and may knock them over.
• Secure valuables that might be damaged if knocked off high shelves.
CAUTION: Be sure to secure string, twine, ribbons, dental floss, and other such objects. A cat may ingest these involuntarily, due to the design of its tongue, which is lined with inward-pointing barbs on which string can snag and then work its way down the throat. A feline in such a situation may swallow a considerable amount of material against its will.
