When we think of storing things safely, we often think of protecting babies and young children, and things like earthquake-safe storage. But those of us with pets need to think about them, too.
My friend Jill just passed along the latest word from the ASPCA regarding pet poisons - and a number of these have storage implications. To quote in part:
Pets often snatch pill vials from counters and nightstands or gobble up medications accidentally dropped on the floor, so it’s essential to keep meds tucked away in hard-to-reach cabinets.So be careful about how you store medicines, food products, and various chemicals if you have pets around!
People food like grapes, raisins, avocado and products containing xylitol, like gum, can seriously disable our furry friends, and accounted for more than 17,453 cases in 2009. One of the worst offenders - chocolate - contains large amounts of methylxanthines, which, if ingested in significant amounts, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, urination, hyperactivity, and in severe cases, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures.
Many baits used to attract rodents contain inactive ingredients that are attractive to pets as well.
Everybody knows that household cleaning supplies can be toxic to adults and children, but few take precautions to protect their pets from common agents such as bleaches, detergents and disinfectants.
Chemical hazards - found in ethylene glycol antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals - form a substantial danger to pets.
Related Post:
Pet Stuff Storage, Part 1 (with links to the other parts)
Be Your Own Professional Organizer, Part 4: Decide Where to Store Stuff
[Photo: One of my cats, Puppy]
Great post, Jeri! I'm careful with my pills, and we mostly don't use toxic chemicals. However, I have to be conscious of food items and rubber bands. I have one cat that chews on rubber bands. She got into a bag the other day, so I put them in a small tin with a lid.
ReplyDeletePuppy is soooo cute!
Glad you liked it, MarySees! And I'm glad you've found a way to safely store those rubber bands.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for being properly appreciative of Puppy! :-)
This is so important, Jeri. My good friend's dog ate anti-freeze and got so sick that he almost didn't make it. Luckily, he came out ok, but boy, did we all learn some lessons.
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting this together.
PenelopeLovesLists, I'm so glad your friend's dog recovered. What a scary way to be reminded to keep our pets safely away from toxic items!
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