A Poison Safe Home

Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet

Alcoholic beverages
Avocado
Chocolate (all forms)
Coffee (all forms)
Fatty foods
Macadamia nuts
Moldy or spoiled foods
Onions, onion powder
Raisins and grapes
Salt
Yeast dough
Garlic
Products sweetened with xylitol

Warm Weather Hazards

Animal toxins—toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions
Blue-green algae in ponds
Citronella candles
Cocoa mulch
Compost piles Fertilizers
Flea products
Outdoor plants and plant bulbs
Swimming-pool treatment supplies
Fly baits containing methomyl
Slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde

Medication

Common examples of human medications that can be potentially lethal to pets, even in small doses, include:

Pain killers
Cold medicines
Anti-cancer drugs
Antidepressants
Vitamins
Diet Pills

Cold Weather Hazards

Antifreeze
Liquid potpourri
Ice melting products
Rat and mouse bait

Common Household Hazards

Fabric softener sheets
Mothballs
Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc)

Holiday Hazards

Christmas tree water (may contain fertilizers and bacteria, which, if ingested, can upset the stomach.
Electrical cords
Ribbons or tinsel (can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction—most often occurs with kittens!)
Batteries
Glass ornaments

Non-toxic Substances for Dogs and Cats

The following substances are considered to be non-toxic, although they may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some animals:

Water-based paints
Toilet bowl water
Silica gel
Poinsettia
Cat litter
Glue traps
Glow jewelry