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Managing the relationship between cats and humans.


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Watch Out! - Cat Vigilance

Someone once said that living with a cat is like living with a child-- you have to watch them all the time. Anyone with cats knows or has had the experience of "the cat in the closet", or worse. While many times we know where our cats are, there are times when they change their favorite places and we have to figure them out all over again. But it is something we must do if we want to be sure kitty is safe in our sometimes dangerous homes.

Cat - The Stealth Animal

Cats are just about the ultimate stealth animal. They are expert hunters-- nature has designed them to move about undetected. And often they get "under our radar" as a result. Cats are generally quiet animals, they don't bark incessantly like a dog, they have very quiet padded feet, they can crouch and run very low to the ground, they blend into their surroundings (all those colorful coats are camouflage) and they dart-- running with remarkable bursts of speed. They also think of humans as other cats, so it is impossible for them to realize that when they run directly under our feet, we don't have a clue and the next thing is we trip on them! If we had the remarkable senses of the cat, this accident would not happen.

Watching Out For Your Cat

The best defense against accidents is awareness. As the humans, we have to keep aware that our cats:

A) think of us as cats and expect us to behave in a similar manner, and,

B) are stealth animals with tremendous curiosity.

If you think about how a cat hunts in nature, you can plan ahead to prevent accidents and problems. For example, cats hunt in the dark-- they have the eyes for it. So in a dark room, while you may have trouble seeing, kitty with her night vision, has no problem. Let's say you're in your bedroom and it is chilly. You want to get an extra blanket from the closet. So you get up, in the dim light, don't bother turning on the electric light, open the closet door and get your blanket. The next day, Kitty is nowhere to be found, and won't even come out for food. Then it dawns on you to check the closet. Sure enough, there is Kitty, rather miffed and ready to come out. The point here is obvious. No matter what you are doing, you have to ask yourself, "Where is Kitty".

Appliances and The Cat - Not a Good Combination!

When working with appliances, we have to be especially vigilant about Kitty's whereabouts. Remember, Kitty thinks of us as a cat, so what interests us interests Kitty. Clothes dryers are a definite risk, and most of us know about this one. When you are loading the dryer, especially if it is a front loader, reach in and check before closing the door and turning it on. There are many tales of cats getting trapped in dryers and this extra step can prevent an accident. Washers are also a potential hazard. If you walk away from an open washer for any reason, Kitty could jump in if the lid is open. Obviously, if the washer if filling, the chances of this are remote, but if the tub has dry clothes in it waiting for you to fill it, check it just in case. Some cats love to bury themselves in human clothes. Of course, once you start filling the washer, the cat will probably fly out of there. But why risk it, especially with jumping kittens? Stoves are another potential hazard, especially electric ones. Even when you turn the heat off an electric burner, it takes time for it to cool down. Most of us do not let Kitty walk on kitchen counters, but if we are making dinner and Kitty is sitting patiently by the stove in hopes of a morsel and we leave the stove, Kitty can jump-- and the results will not be pleasant. Vigilance is necessary.

The Cat and the Garage - Keep Them Separate!

A garage can also pose dangers to a cat. Cats often crouch under cars (this is shelter to them) or will even crawl up into the engine. To them, the car is not a powerful machine, it is something to be explored. Cars can also leak fluids, transmission fluid, antifreeze, etc. Some of this material is interesting to a cat (or a dog for that matter) and they will lick it. They don't know it is toxic. Something in the formulation attracts them to "try it out", with terrible results!

Paper or Plastic? Cats and Plastic Bags - A Real Danger

Many of us enjoy the convenience of plastic bags. Unfortunately, they present a real danger to Kitty. Some cats are very attracted to the plastic material and will lick it, crawl in the bag and play there. This is a danger. To help keep the bags in a pack from sticking together, manufactures spray them with a powder. Often, this is a form of corn starch. Some Vets do not consider this a serious risk to the animal, while others advise against letting cats lick them, as a safety measure.

The handles on the bags pose a particular threat. Kitty can get her head stuck in one and panic. If you are not right there to rescue Kitty, she can struggle, try to run and things can get fatal. So, watch Kitty when you bring home "the goodies", and put bags where Kitty can't get them. Keep Kitty away from them and, if you store the bags, do so in a place where Kitty can't dig them out. Many people routinely cut the handles on plastic bags to prevent the problem.

Now you may think paper bags are therefore safe. Not necessarily! A plain paper bag is pretty safe, unless Kitty is hiding in there, and you absently come into the room, are not looking and accidentally kick the bag! Some paper bags have carry handles, and the problem here is obvious. So, never assume something is completely safe, there could be dangers.

Kitty and the Porch - Watch Out!

Many of us have homes with porches, some enclosed, some screened in, some exposed. If you have an indoor only cat (highly recommended!) she may decide to romp on the porch. Many times, especially if you are going to be out there and it is enclosed, this is fine. Except in Winter. Most porches are not heated. You may open the door to check something on the porch, and Kitty, the stealth animal, slips out unawares. You close the door, oblivious, and Kitty spends the night on the porch! If the porch is enclosed chances are she will be very cold, but safe. However, if the porch is only screened in, there is a wind chill factor to consider. This can kill. To play safe, before you go to bed, count your cats! Know where they are.

The Endless Others - Vigilance is the Key.

There are so many things we need to watch to keep Kitty safe. Rubber bands (Kitty can eat them), electrical wiring (Kitty can bite through the insulation or get tangled in loose cords), window blinds (Kitty can tangle in the hanging cords or bite through the cords and eat the string), paper clips, twist ties-- the list goes on and on. The point here is to remember that things we take for granted are the things that we need to ask "Can this hurt Kitty?" If there is a risk, put the things in a place where Kitty won't get them.

We have a responsibility to care for Kitty. We brought her into what is basically an alien environment-- our homes. Kitty's natural instincts and our conveniences can get in each other's way with unpleasant results. Kitty does not know this, but we do. So it is our responsibility to stay alert and extra aware. As anyone who has suffered a preventable accident with Kitty can tell you, the pain and regret that follow are tremendous. Vigilance and forethought are the key, and will prevent, we all hope, that pain and regret from ever happening.


About the Article Author:

Tim Thompson, author of this article, has been living with cats for many years. As a student of behavioral statistics, he has learned the importance of observation to understanding behaviors in humans and animals. He has served as a member of the Board of a local rescue shelter and worked with their foster care givers for 8 years. On the home front, he is the human companion of Gertrude and Eddie, two tiger tabbies who are constantly teaching Tim new things about living with cats.

 

 


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