Ammonia, bleach, and chlorine
Some cleaning products are toxic to your pets. Ammonia, bleach and chlorine can cause your pet skin and eye irritation and breathing problems. Chlorine in particular is heavier than air, and so it will naturally affect your pet more than you as they are closer to the ground.

Citrus and cats
Cats don’t like citrus. That includes orange, lemon, and citronella. While it won’t harm them, it will make them avoid that spot in your home- which makes it ideal to deter a feline. If you have a cat that urinates on a certain spot or scratches a piece of furniture that they shouldn’t, a spray of citronella/ water on the area will deter them.

 

Some essential oils
Some essential oils can be highly toxic to our pets. Cats in particular can suffer from exposure to some oils as their livers don’t metabolise some compounds. These include tea tree, peppermint, pine, eucalyptus, lavender, cinnamon, and clove oil. Dogs can find cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, pine, tea tree, and pennyroyal to be toxic/ irritating. Be very careful when using diffusers and
essential oils around your animals.

 

 

Fragrances
Animals can be affected by a range of artificial and natural scents. If you use air fresheners, deodorisers, scented candles, incense, or potpourri, these can irritate cats and dogs. This irritation can appear as sneezing and coughing, but can also give your furry friends headaches and nausea, liver and kidney damage, and even cancer. Birds, in particular, can be more sensitive to scents, because their bodies are so small.

 

Fly spray
Fly spray is not toxic to cats and dogs, but much like humans, they may find it irritating. Avoid spraying around them. However, if you have fish or an aquarium, be very, very careful when using fly or bug spray of any sort, including daisy derivative pyrethrum. Even small amounts of fly spray can kill your fish or aquarium inhabitants.

 

Keep your pets safe
Use natural-based cleaners. This lemongrass based cleaner will deodorise and clean without irritating your pet. It also has the benefit of having slightly catnip-esque effects. If you have fish tanks and want to avoid fly spray, use this Fly –Off surface cleaner. This will control pests without having to resort to fish-killing chemicals. To kill mould and mildew, this cleaner is vinegar based which is safe for use around animals.
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Also, remember that dogs have more than 220 million scent receptors, and cats have 45 -80 million. Humans have only five million. Next time you’re using a strong cleaning product and it bothers you, imagine how much worse it will be for your pet. If unsure, put your pet outside before starting any cleaning.