MORE on KITTY SAFETY!

Food No-Nos!

• Milk - large intakes of milk may cause diarrhea in cats who lack the enzyme lactase which is necessary for dairy digestion.
• Raw Fish - a raw fish diet can lead to a vitamine thiamine deficiency which can lead to a total lack of appetite, general weakness, abnormal posture, and seizures (as well as death).
• Raw Eggs - a diet high in raw eggs can increase a cat's risk of biotin deficiency which can cause loss of hair, dermatits, and poor growth.
• Raw liver - liver is high in vitamin A and too much can be toxic to cats.
• Small, soft bones - chicken or pork chop bones pose a serious chocking threat and should never be given to cats!
• Table scraps are not nutritioanlly complete for cats so restrict scraps to less than 10% of your cat's daily food intake.

Garage No-Nos!
With its sweet flavor, antifreeze is a common cause of feline poisoning. Oil, gasoline, and other spills should be cleaned up immediately, and cars should be checked regularly for leaks. Fertilizers, cleaning supplies, insect traps and bait, pesticides, and paints all present dangers to your cat. Keep all containers tightly sealed and out of reach, and be sure to clean spills immediately.

Yard No-Nos!
Cats who walk or play on pesticide or fertilizer treated lawns can be poisoned by eating treated plants or through absorbing the pesticide/fertilizer through their skin/paws. Treated lawns should be off limits to pets until they are deemed safe (read pesticide/fertilizer label). Check your lawn-care products for specific safety instructions. If you suspect your cat has had external contact with a poisonous substance, whether it's fertilizer, insecticide, or other outdoor poison, it is important to bathe your cat thoroughly and immediately.


Household No-Nos!
Additional household items that are highly toxic even in low quantities include potpourri, pennies, mothballs, fabric softener sheets, automatic dish detergents, toilet water, batteries, homemade play dough, and all forms of nicotine.