More people are leaving their pets home alone for longer periods, now that COVID-19 restrictions are lifting, and many pet owners are understandably nervous or concerned about keeping their pets safe while they’re away.
On average, 500,000 pets are impacted by smoke inhalation a year, primarily from house fires, and of those, 40,000 do not survive.
July happens to be Pet Fire Safety Month, so it is a good time to prep your pet and your home for fire safety.
The experts at Kidde are helping us get ready. Fire safety educator Sharon Cooksey shared her advice on how to protect your furry friends.
The first thing she recommended is to train your pet to do a fire drill. Here’s how:
1) Familiarize your pet with the smoke alarm.
The sound can be alarming for humans, so you can only imagine how pets must feel, but you need to have it go off so they get used to it, and can listen to your next command.
2) Pair the sound with a command.
Once they are no longer afraid of the sound, pair it with a command of where you want them to go.
3) Identify and name the exit.
Train them to go to the exit and show them how they can get out.
4) Reward them for a positive response.
Make sure to give them a treat so the action is positively reinforced in their minds.
This is something on which Kidde worked with expert pet trainer Sara Carson, and they have a video detailing how to do it on their website.
There are also several things you can do to prevent your animal from being injured in a fire.
For one, regularly check your smoke alarm to make sure it is working properly. The experts recommend checking it every week and replacing the alarm every 10 years.
You can utilize window clings that say there are pets inside your home. The cling, which you can get from Kidde, will alert the fire department to keep an eye out for the pets. You should place them at all the entrances to your home.
Finally, do not keep food on your counters. This may cause the animals to jump onto the counter to try and get it, and in the process, they could turn on your stove.
For more information and how you can prep your pet at home for fire safety, click or tap here.