Around the house
- Store medicines, vitamins and supplements in closed cabinets — pets can chew through plastic bottles surprisingly easily.
- Keep cleaning products, antifreeze, rodent bait and pest treatments well out of reach, and wipe up spills straight away.
- Tuck away cords, hair ties, string, ribbon and small toys. Cats in particular will swallow anything thread-like.
- Check the washer, dryer, recliner and cupboards before closing them — cats hide in warm, dark spaces.
- Choose houseplants carefully. Lilies are especially dangerous for cats, and many common plants cause vomiting or worse.
Foods to keep away from pets
Some everyday foods are harmless to us and genuinely risky for pets. Treat these as off-limits:
- Chocolate, coffee and anything with caffeine.
- Grapes and raisins, which can affect a dog's kidneys even in small amounts.
- Onions, garlic, leeks and chives.
- Xylitol and other sugar substitutes, common in gum, mints and some peanut butters.
- Alcohol, raw yeast dough, macadamia nuts and cooked bones that can splinter.
- If your pet eats something questionable, don't wait for symptoms — call your veterinarian or an animal poison helpline right away.
Yards and outdoor spaces
- Walk your fence line every month or two, looking for gaps, loose boards, dug-out corners and gates that don't latch firmly.
- Know which fertilisers, weed treatments and mulches you use, and keep pets off treated areas for the time listed on the label.
- Provide shade and fresh water anywhere your pet spends time outdoors.
- Never leave a pet tethered unsupervised, and secure pools, ponds and hot tubs.
Identification that actually works
- A microchip is permanent, but only useful if the registry has your current phone number — check it once a year.
- Pair the chip with a visible collar tag: most pets are returned by a neighbour reading a tag, not by a scanner.
- Use a flat, quick-release collar for cats and a well-fitted collar or harness for dogs.
- Keep a clear, current photo of each pet on your phone. Your VPO PetSafe Profile keeps this and your emergency details organised and shareable in one place.
Heat, cold and cars
- Never leave a pet in a parked vehicle. Interiors heat up dangerously fast, even with windows cracked and even on mild days.
- Walk during cooler hours in summer and test the pavement with your hand — if it's too hot for your palm, it's too hot for paws.
- Watch for heavy panting, drooling, weakness or confusion in heat, and move your pet somewhere cool immediately.
- In winter, limit time outside for small, young, senior or thin-coated pets, and rinse salt and de-icer off paws.
- Secure pets in the car with a crash-tested harness or a fastened carrier — an unrestrained pet is a hazard to everyone.
Habits that prevent escapes
- Leash before the door opens, and use a second gate or closed interior door as a buffer if you can.
- Ask visitors and delivery drivers to keep gates closed, and put a note on the gate if your pet is a door-darter.
- Give anxious pets a quiet, closed room during parties, storms and fireworks.
- Practise recall in safe, enclosed spaces so coming back to you is an easy, rewarded habit.