What with it being 5th November and firework night, pet safety is very much to the fore; you know the stuff: keep animals indoors, draw the curtains and take your dog out for his evening walk before the action starts. This got me to thinking about keeping pets safe from solid-fuel fires. We’ve all seen the cosy images of dogs and cats snuggled up on a cosy rug in front of a roaring log fire but what is the reality of the situation?
Additionally, the experience of a friend of mine who, sitting in her local vets recently, overheard numerous telephone calls from worried pet owners enquiring about the dangers of an open fireplace to their pet, made me think I hadn’t given this subject enough thought (actually, I hadn’t given it any thought at all).
So here’s the lowdown:
Just as with humans, unless they are ill or infirm, all animals will move away from fires if it gets too hot or the air quality is poor. Some animals, usually the ones we love the most, are just plain stupid and, because they love the warmth so much, will edge much too close to the source heat.
It makes sense then that, if you have a dumb animal in your life, you use a firescreen. Then you can all enjoy the cosiness that comes with a real fire!
