You’ve heard of child-proofing your home, but did you know that any of the hundreds of common household items that could be harmful to your Ragdoll cat? These harmful items include everything from laundry soap, dishwashing powder, bleach, household cleaners, medication, fertilizer, and pesticides to onions and coffee grounds.
The old saying “Curiosity Killed the Cat” exists for a reason. Cats are often too curious for their own good and are capable of getting themselves in a lot of trouble. Here are several suggestions for cat-proofing your home to prevent the accidental poisoning of your Ragdoll cat.
Dishwashing detergent and the dryer sheets found in your laundry room contain synthetic chemical compounds that can irritate tissue and cause diarrhea and ulcers if ingested. If your Ragdoll comes in contact with these chemicals on its paws or fur they will ingest this while grooming. This is true of any household item your Ragdoll comes in contact with. Antifreeze is another deadly household item you should be concerned about. Many cats are attracted to the taste; antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, a sweet tasting chemical that is fatal for small animals. If your Ragdoll ingests antifreeze your cat could be dead in a matter of hours. The best way to prevent your Ragdoll from coming in contact with antifreeze is to make the garage off-limits for all pets.
When cat proofing your home, treat any chemical, medication, or cleaning product as a potential poison if ingested by your Ragdoll cat. Using child-proof latches on your cabinets will prevent your cat from prying cabinets open to get at the contents. When using chemicals be sure and isolate your cat and only utilize the chemical in a well-ventilated room. If you suspect your cat has ingested anything harmful, visit your veterinarian or emergency animal clinic as soon as possible.
Related Articles Other People Have Read:
- Caring for Your Ragdoll Cat: Poision Proof Your Home
- Ragdoll Cat 101: Cat Proofing Your Home
- Cat Proof Your House
- Onions and Ragdoll Cats Do Not Mix
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I just read the article in one of the websites about Ann Baker’s cats. I met in her 1972 when I bought some furniture from her. I live not 2 blocks from where her cattery was. My fiance used to work for her when he was a kid. I have another theory on why the ragdoll developed. We live in a town called Highgrove which consisted of mostly orange groves until recently. I maintain that it is something in the soil that causes mutations. My siamese cats can be held on their back with our hand right under their neck and they go totally limp as though they were dead and will stay like that until we move them. Also, cats born in this area are slow to mature. Just thought I would pass this along. Thanks
hi i have a ragdoll male cat that has been neutered but persistently sprays indoors and out and also tries to mate with spayed female ragdoll do yo have any advise please
We have had our Ragdoll for about one month. We inheirited her from a family. She is 4 years old. I had heard how Ragdolls got their name-kind of like going limp when picked up like a ragdoll’s name would suggest. I can assure you, our Ragdoll is anything but limp. She tenses when picked up in the appropriate way with support. Just recently she stopped growling that faded to a mew that faded to a peep. Nevertheless, she is not limp to any stretch of the imagination.
Hi i have a year oldfemale ragdol and she doesnt like to be picked up or cuddled.
and she wont go limp at all,we have a friend who is a vet and he says they dont start tht trat untill the are much older .she wont sit on your lap either and is always trying to get out side ,
As a lace maker, I have beads and stuff around… I bought my Ragdoll Diva a Fling-ama-String, and she loved it, but would use her nails to stop the band from moving and eat the string. I replaced it with a leather piece, sewing it on as best as I could, and she seemed to like it. I was about ready to go to bed after watching a late night movie, when I noticed her licking the air. I opened her mouth and could see the needle and thread I had used to sew on the piece of leather, and when she hit the needle part, she tried to get it out, but the tongue only allows one way ‘traffic’ and she had wedged the needle into the roof of her mouth. So, at 2 am, it was getting the vet out of bed, then to the clinic, and he didn’t dare try to take it out without putting her out for a bit. The needle and thread came out without a problem.
He told me that he had seen other Ragdolls who were thread eaters, and to be careful… and that they probably got it from the siamese in them. When I was knitting, she would suck on the wool…… I taught her not to.
She can also now go into my sewing room without trying to pull thread from the sewing machine or serger. She will be 3 on Sep 14, so maybe age is making her wiser.
She does like to take the hair I take off the dogs or her out of the wastebasket as I work on the other dogs. She likes to chew on it. She also likes feathers, and I have to hide anything with feathers, and I won’t even consider getting the newest fad in earrings… feathers….
Even with their quirks, they are worth it.
My Diva wouldn’t go limp when I first got her, but once she trusted me, she goes limp and I can roll her into a ball, even when I have company.
At first she didn’t like being held, but she learned to like it, and discovered she liked being held like a baby, and she flops into my arms at least once a day, and likes to be held, not rubbed at that point. When I go to the bathroom, she follows me in and flops onto the floor for a belly rub. Right now, she is curled up in the crook of my legs, and she liked my arm for about 10 minutes about an hour ago.
She is my first cat; I have had dogs all my life, and I have treated her like a dog since I got her….. and she seems to like it. She uses the toilet, and there are times when we are both rushing toward it, and whoever gets there first gets to go first. When the dogs get their treats, she sits there beside them, just to make sure she gets hers.