Pet Safety in the Home

Responsible parents often make home safety a priority for their kids, making sure to child-proof every room in their home before their little one is even able to roll over on his own. Childproofing ensures that small children are not harmed by dangers existing inside the home. Many people, however, forget to consider the same principles as they relate to the safety of pets. You wouldn't want your beloved puppy to get hurt while in your home, would you? Pets are an important member of your family, and it is your responsibility to consider their safety as well. Pet-proofing your home, which is similar to child-proofing, will help keep your pet out of harm's way. Here are a few home safety tips for your pets:

Remove small objects from the floor. Just like children, pets can choke on small objects that they put inside their mouths. Don't risk a choking hazard; keep these items away from the reach of your pets and your children. Supervise pets when they are playing with small toys; even if they are sold as pet toys, this doesn't mean a small piece couldn't be pulled off by a pet playing aggressively, posing a choking hazard.

Get rid of poisonous plants. Many new pet owners don't realize that common houseplants can actually be poisonous for your animals. Daffodils, geraniums, and poinsettias are some of the most common culprits. If you have these plants in the home, make sure they're somewhere your pets can't chew on them. If your pet snacks on these pets, it could cause a serious illness. Your pet could even die from nibbling on the Rhododendrons or poinsettias that you assumed were harmless.

Cover electrical outlets. Like children, pets may also be harmed by exposed cords and outlets. Pets may enjoy chewing or licking the cords, which pose a danger of electrocution. The covers sold for childproofing will protect your pets as well. Also keep any curtain strings and other dangling cords out of the reach of your pets. Pets may try to play and bat at these cords, and may end up becoming tangled in them or pulling an electrical device off a table or countertop, hurting themselves.

Consider an alarm system. Alarms help to protect not only the people in the home, but also your pets. There is a wide variety of home safety systems available, from whole-house security systems to individual alarms that can be placed on doors or windows, or motion sensors at the entrances to a particular room in the home. These alarms are also a great way to make sure your new puppy hasn't escaped his pen, or your cat hasn't gotten into your workshop. Many systems can be set so that they will detect pet movements, while others are designed to ignore pets so that false alarms aren't set off by them. Don't let the presence of pets in the home prevent you from setting up home security alarms.

These precautionary measures can keep your pets safe and secure inside your home. Although child-proofing and keeping your doors and windows locked are becoming commonplace security practices, many families simply don't do enough to ensure the safety of their pets, even though they consider Fluffy or Fido to be just as much a part of the family as the people.

Resist Attack has a full range of stun guns both for families and security forces. Also check for current specials on our tasers