All cat and dog lovers want to keep their babies safe and healthy, but like with children – there’s only so much we can do. We try to remove things they might choke on, trip over, knock down, or bring tumbling down upon themselves (Like Alexa and the ironing board – I haven’t left mine set up since then and I never will again.) Of course, even when we think we’ve covered every possible base, accidents do sometimes still manage to happen.
One area that we have total control over, however, is an accident that can be deadly. We can take action to prevent our cat or dog from ever being poisoned by antifreeze. As Cat Age points out, antifreeze can be lethal to pets and children.
Apparently, antifreeze has a sweet, tempting flavor that’s impossible for a pet to resist. However, even a tiny amount can be deadly, so we need to take every precaution we can to make sure that never happens. Cat Age gives the following great tips.
* Keep kitty inside when flushing your radiator, and never drain it into gutters or onto the ground.
* Fix all radiator leaks, even if no antifreeze is dripping onto the ground. Cats can (and often will) crawl up into car engines to lick drops of antifreeze from leaky radiator caps.
* Store new and used antifreeze in a leakproof container.
* Promptly clean all spills.
* Don’t let your cat freely roam in your garage or outdoors. One stroll through a puddle of antifreeze, followed by paw licking, can result in death.
* Buy antifreeze with the bitter-tasting and less toxic propylene glycol instead of the sweet-tasting ethylene glycol. (All brands of antifreeze should be handled with the same precautions listed above.)
* If you suspect your cat has ingested antifreeze, get to the vet immediately. Irreversible kidney damage can occur within hours of ingestion. Lethargy, depression, and staggering are a few of the symptoms of ingestion, but some cats show no symptoms at all.
Check out Cat Age for a lot more articles and advice for caring for cats.