In my household when someone is playing on the PS/2 there’s the ubiquitous warning voiced to passersby: “Tripwire!” The television and the couch are placed directly across a thoroughfare in the house—the danger is actually more to the video game console than it is to the passing humans (and sometimes cat) but the idea remains the same. A recent New York Times article published, though, suggests that our very own pets might need to come with their very own tripping warning.
Dogs and cats cause more than 86,000 falls requiring emergency room care each year, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that may be among the first of its kind. That translates into about 240 people who are treated for injuries caused by pets every single day in the United States, the study found.
Cats are involved in some of the falls, but dogs — man’s best friend — are the real culprits, responsible for seven times as many injuries as cats, often while they’re being walked, the report found.
The article does warn that this research is primarily anecdotal, however, the suggestions sound solid enough. Like all family members, overly rambunctious pets add an element of risk to the home when not treated with the respect and communication they need. When working in the kitchen I always have to wave my friends out of my way and keep them clear from my space, the same would be true of dogs and cats.
Obedience training, keeping the family pets in sight, and otherwise integrating them into the rhythms and needs of the family could probably go a long way to reducing the chances that they end up underfoot.
Link, via New York Times.