How to Pet-Proof Your Home: Room by Room

Pets explore with their mouths, paws and relentless curiosity. Before a new pet arrives, walk through your home at their height and see what they see.

Kitchen

• Toxic foods: Chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, xylitol and alcohol are toxic. Keep out of reach.
• Bins: Use bins with secure lids.
• Cleaning products: Store under lock or in high cupboards.
• Dishwasher: Keep closed — tablets contain harmful chemicals.

Living Room

• Cables: Puppies and kittens chew cables. Use cable management covers.
• Plants: Many houseplants are toxic — lilies (fatal to cats), poinsettia, aloe vera, monstera. Check every plant.
• Candles and diffusers: Essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus) are toxic to cats.
• Small objects: Coins, rubber bands, hair ties and batteries are swallowing risks.

Bathroom

• Medications: Human medications — paracetamol, ibuprofen — are among the most common causes of pet poisoning. Store in a closed cabinet.
• Toilet: Keep lid closed around small pets.

Garden

• Fencing: Check for gaps, broken panels and anything a dog could dig under.
• Toxic plants: Foxglove, bluebells, daffodils, tulip bulbs, yew, laburnum — know what you are growing.
• Slug pellets: Metaldehyde is highly toxic to dogs. Use pet-safe alternatives.
• Ponds: Young puppies and kittens can drown. Net ponds or supervise closely.

Garage

• Antifreeze: Contains ethylene glycol — extremely toxic and fatally attractive to cats. Store securely and clean up any spills immediately.