Simple Accident Prevention Could Save Your Cat's Life

Indoor Hazards

Turning on the dryer with your cat inside. Cats love warm, soft clothes. Sleeping in the laundry basket or an open dresser drawer isn’t dangerous, except possibly to your hopes of going to work without cat hair on you. But many cats have been killed in clothes dryers. It typically happens when clothes are left in the dryer, more are thrown in and the dryer turned back on. Prevent this deadly hazard by keeping the dryer door closed, and always checking the inside before you turn it on.

Leaving strings and things out. While cats generally don’t have as much interest in chewing things as dogs do, there is an exception: Strings. Cats, especially young cats and kittens, will play with and sometimes eat strings, yarn, thread and other similar objects, which will then often need to be surgically removed. To prevent this, always put knitting, sewing and other craft supplies safely away when you’re done with them, and keep a lid on the garbage pail to keep that meat-juiced roast string out of your cat’s mouth.

The idea that cats have nine lives comes from their skills at getting themselves out of jams. They can fly over fences and up trees to get away from predators, and can sometimes survive falls that would kill most other animals. But your cat really only has one life, and it’s up to you to protect it.