5 Common Spring Dangers. How To Protect Your Cat In Spring.

Spring brings positive changes to nature. Blooming trees, fresh air, and more time spent in a warming sun. Spring also brings dangers for cats that a caring cat owner needs to know about. Here are five common spring dangers and simple ways to protect cats in spring.

Spring Danger 1) Bees

With spring at the door many plants and trees start blooming. Grass and spring flowers start appearing through cracks and in open areas. After winter months your backyard can look like the bush.

It’s pleasing to seeing blossoms. At the same time through my personal experience I found that it contains dangers for cats. Why? Bees. They love flowers and will appear when the spring comes.

Cats are unlikely to reach blossoms on trees. Think about small plants and flowers appearing in cracks. Young yellow dandelions have short stems, so bees come close to the ground. Guess what happens next if a curious cat is around?

It’s easy for a cat to get a wasp or bee bite if the environment “helps” with that. Protect your cat: Place blossoming plants up high, so cats can’t reach them. Cut out all lovely dandelions and drop them into a bin so your yard is free of them.

Spring Danger 2) Ticks and Fleas

Ticks and fleas can be active all year round. They become a greater concern with warmer months coming our way. Cats start getting a more often access to outdoor areas, enclosures, and yards. That increases the chance of getting ticks and fleas.

Plenty of options exist to protect your cat from these small bloodsuckers. That includes spot-on treatments, tablets, sprays, special collars, and shampoos. With our cats we found the easiest way is to apply a spot-on solution.

Some brands offer several treatment options, so you can choose the one that will work for your cat. For example, the Frontline Plus website has a dosage calculator. It helps to choose the right spray product basing on your cat’s weight and coat length and thickness. Remember, some treatments for dogs are toxic to cats. Contact your vet for the best prevention method for your cat.

Use simple ways to protect your cat. Limit the access to outdoors during the tick season. Prevent the cat from roaming in wooded areas and the bush. Apply tick and flea treatment and check your cats’ ears and coat.

Spring Danger 3) Plants and Flowers

In spring you are likely to start making your garden pretty again. With lots of plants that are pleasing to a human eye, choose the ones that are safe for cats. Plants UNsafe for cats include tulips, daffodils, and crocuses. I know, I know! Looks nice, but just think of all the havoc you will end up with when a cat chews a toxic plant and will need to see a vet doctor.

You might want that nice ivy to wrap your pergola, but is ivy safe for cats? Bulbs left on a table can be a great fun for cats, but some bulbs are a concentration of toxins. Don’t let cats to play with them or dig them out.

Lily, including tiger lily and wood lily, is dangerous at any time of the year. Lilies are a big no-no when it comes to flowers – whether it to be in a pot or in a flower gift. Some lilies are not fatal for cats, but better to be safe than sorry. If somebody brings a flower gift containing lilies, get rid of lilies immediately. This will protect your cat’s life, as even pollen is dangerous for cats. Educate your family and friends about this.

Spring Danger 4) Access to Outdoors

If you let your cats outside, it’s likely that in spring you will start doing that more often. Well-known outdoor dangers include cars, dogs, cat haters, and those irritated by cats roaming in their yards.

Protect your cat from street dangers: have a cat-proof safe yard. To make a cat-proof yard, build a cat enclosure, a cat run, or cat-proof the fence. To cat-proof the fence, loosely attach a cat net at 45 degrees to the fence.

Think about cat’s safety. One day it might save your cat’s life from an angry dog running loose or jumping over your fence.

Spring Danger 5) Female and Male Cats’ Season

If you haven’t spayed or neutered your cat, the springtime and the rest of the year can become a nightmare for you. (Why not spay or neuter? Almost everyone has done that already!)

On average, an un-spayed female cat brings 3 litters of kittens per year. Each litter generally has 4-6 kittens. Do you see yourself raising, litter training, feeding, and removing poo of 20 cats in your house? (That will become almost 100 cats in your cat’s lifetime!) Are you willing to take the responsibility? Are you ready financially? Do you have all the time it takes to provide all the born cats with an enriched environment and food?

That does not sound like fun. Care about your cats’ health. Avoid tomcats marking your garden with pee. It’s easy when you spay your female cat and neuter your male cat. Spay or neuter – this will save the unborn kittens from being later killed in an animal shelter due to no space. It will also make you and your cat live a happy life.

In Summary

Spring is a lovely time. Keep your cats safe during spring: prepare and prevent potential dangers. If anything happens, contact your vet doctor.

What other spring dangers can you think about?

xox Natalie
Ms Cat, Cat Mum, Editor-in-Chief at Ozzi Cat – Australian National Cat Magazine.
Special and Special Needs Cats Ambassador.

Tagged backyard, bees, care, danger, fleas, flowers, Frontline, neutering, plants, risk, safety, spay, spring, ticks, toxic