Some advice for Pet Fire Safety Day…

July 1, 2019

We’re ready for Pet Fire Safety Day… Are you?

 We’re feeling a bit hot under the collar at All Creatures Healthcare in Norwich. 15 July is Pet Fire Safety Day and keeping your beloved pets safe is the reason we exist. That’s why we’re taking a moment today to share some tips about fire safety with you. Light a (flameless) candle and shine a light over everything you need to know below…

10 tips to keep your pets safe around fire:

 1. Handle candles with care

Open flames, such as candles, are incredibly dangerous when you have pets. All it takes is the wag of a happy tail or the swipe of a playful pussycat and it becomes an instant danger. Never leave a lit candle unattended or within easy reach of a pet, and bonus points if you switch to flameless, battery-powered candles to remove the risk entirely.

2. Watch out for wires

 Wires can look like fun to a pet with a love of chewing anything in sight, so make sure that any wires are safely hidden or tied up, and that anything electrical is turned off at the plug when you’re not home.

3. Remember to regularly check for fire hazards

 In addition to wires, it’s good to keep an eye open for any other devices in the home that may be fire hazards. For example, anything with a purpose of creating heat – such as an iron, hairdryer, or heater – can be a danger to your pet if they’re in the wrong place or have some tasty-looking wires on display.

4. Find and store any flammable liquids

You’d be surprised at how many mundane products in our homes are flammable, from the expected aerosol cans and strong cleaning products to the unexpected hand sanitiser, nail polish, and even flour. It’s best to have any cleaning products stored away unless in use, anyway, as many of them are also toxic to pets.

5. Fireplaces give fair warning

Naturally, we expect fireplaces to be hot and so they’re top of our list when it comes to fire safety caution. However, pets don’t see the same dangers we do. As a result, they may burn their little noses on the hot glass or accidentally let their favourite (and flammable) toy get too close to the flames… Never leave a burning fireplace unattended.

6. Kitchen safety is key

A kitchen is another place where dangers are obvious to us, but not our furrier family members. A cooling pan of grease is interesting to an animal, just a few nudges from scalding anyone in the area when it falls, and cats can easily turn the dials on a hob in their explorations. Never leave a hot pan unattended and even think about getting some dial covers to avoid kitty kitchen disasters.

7. Arm yourself with a smarter smoke alarm

It’s 2019 and smoke alarms are getting smarter every day. There are now smoke alarms that will send a notification to your phone when they go off, or even smoke alarms that alert the authorities. If a fire does break out, whether you’re not home or just not aware, the more help the better.

8. Keep leashes and carriers in an easy-to-grab place

 Again, in the event that a fire does break out, you’ll want to be able to protect your pets and get everyone out of the house immediately. Keep leashes somewhere visible by the front or back door, and make sure any carriers are also within easy reach of an exit.

9. Minimise the search area

One important tip for getting your pets out of the house quickly is knowing where they are to begin with. When you’re not home, shut all doors and give your pet(s) a dedicated room. Not only will the belongings in the rest of the house thank you, but you – or even a firefighter – will be able to find your pets without any difficulty.

10. Stickers are a simple, clever addition

One interesting tip we’ve heard about is putting stickers at the front and back of the house showing what and how many pets you have. By putting these on a door or window in an easy-to-see place, a neighbour or even firefighter coming to help knows exactly how many pets need rescuing. Hopefully it never comes to this, but if a couple of stickers could save a precious pet, we’re all for it.

Remember these tips for fire safety and you should hopefully never have a problem. When it comes to fire, it’s all about prevention. So, get cosy with a fire or a few candles, but never leave them, or any other potential risks, unattended when there are animals wandering around. Otherwise you just might land yourself in hot water…