PetSugar -- Girl's Best Friend.

Spring Cleaning: Plant a Pet Safe Garden

PetSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:21 -0700

You may (or may not know) that some plants can be toxic to pets if they get the urge to munch the flowers and plants you keep around the house and garden. Even some of the most common flowers like Baby's Breath, which come in many arrangements, can be unassuming but totally harmful to your pets if ingested. Thankfully, the ASPCA has a complete list of plants that are a-ok and safe for plant-snacking pets, even if it wears down your patience! This Spring, when you are planting your garden, make sure that you double check the list for any plants that would look great in your yard . . . but can do major damage on your cat or dog's tummy. Some of my favorite flowers are great looking and safe for pets too, like these Honeysuckle Fuchsias. To see what else I would pick for my yard, just

Pet Peeves: Kitty Eats My Plants!

PetSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:30:48 -0800

Q: I love having fresh flowers and plants in my house, but my two cats always try to eat them! I know some are poisonous, and I never put those types out. I just would like to have a house plant in my home without them eating it! Any suggestions on breaking their habit?

A: I'm so glad you've checked out which plants are poisonous for your pets! Unfortunately, many kitties are drawn to plants as a snack – offer up some safe kitty plants to lure them away from yours. Many cats don't like the feel or sound of aluminum foil under their paws, so try to place that under your plants. If that still doesn't work, try using these home remedies on the mulch or plant:

Lemon juice and water spray
Pepper and water spray
Tea leaves
Pinecones
Halves of oranges or lemons
Grapefruit, orange, or lemon-peel shavings

Share your remedies for pet deterrents in the comments below!

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Pet-Proofing Your Home: Laundry

PetSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:00:52 -0800

The final stop in my pet-proofing series is the laundry room. The greatest potential danger in a laundry room is the clothes dryer. Kitties may be tempted to jump and nap on warm, fresh clothes either near or in the dryer. Some cats will even choose the empty dryer for a sleeping spot. This can quite obviously result in serious injuries if you turn the dryer on. To protect your cat's health and well-being, don't leave the dryer door open.

To hear more laundry room dangers,

Pet-Proofing Your Home: Kitchen

PetSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:00:24 -0800

Next up in my pet-proofing series: the kitchen. Food presents a huge temptation to pets, especially when it's within reach of their paws or whiffs of their noses. It's natural for them to want to smell and nibble new foods so it's up to you to make sure they can only access safe yums. To learn how to safeguard your kitchen,

Pet-Proofing Your Home: Bathroom

PetSugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:00:27 -0800

Next up in my pet-proofing series: the bathroom. This is a door that many pet owners (myself included!) choose to keep closed. Bathrooms can present a slightly different, additional risk for pet owners... the risk of embarrassment. I remember eating dinner at a friend's apartment in New York when, all of a sudden, I looked over, and her dog had brought us a lovely present he fished out of the bathroom trash can. Charming. She was understandably mortified about this gift and, the next time I visited, I noticed her mini, flip-lid trash can.

To learn about the common bathroom risks for your pet,

Pet-Proofing Your Home: Tech Edition

PetSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:15:42 -0800

Next up in the pet-proofing series: pets and technology, a particularly sensitive subject for yours truly. Back before Mac laptops came with easy-off magnetic power cords, North made a flying leap off my bed and, with his back paw, my laptop also took flight before slamming shut on the hardwood floor!

Recovery and repair were out of my price range so, several hundred dollars later, I replaced the hard drive altogether… bringing my old one home in a sealed bag. To save you the same heartache from home-office accidents, I’ve got a couple of tips that I’ve learned the hard way. To start pet-proofing, it makes sense to get down on your pet's level. You may feel silly, but you can get a necessary perspective of what he could likely find to “investigate.”

To see the rest of my pet-proofing advice,

Pet-Proofing Your Home: Poisonous Plants

PetSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:00:01 -0800

There are many steps to pet proofing your home and, for the first in this series, we'll eliminate poisonous plants. Keep animals safe and view every item placed in pet's reach as something he or she may try to take a nibble on. Different types pose different threats so stay on top of them by checking each one in your house against the ASPCA's toxic plant list. If you find a match, please remove it from your home (or be certain it's far out of pet's reach) – you never know what pets will decide to sample.

Keeping house plants can purify the air quality in your home, and safe ones can give kitty a special snack. However, many commonly-kept plants can have negative effects on pets if ingested, including ones that can affect the heart like azaleas, rhododendron, and oleander, ones that can affect that kidney like lilies, shamrock, and rhubarb, and ones that can affect the liver like the sago palms and some mushroom varieties.

Lucky for us, the ASPCA also provides a list of non-toxic plants (including common bouquet flowers) to cross-check with. That way, if someone gives you a sweet gift, you'll know where to display it!

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