YeoWWW! wailed my cat as I stepped backwards narrowly missing her toes. Appropriately chastened, I let her know how very sorry I was by calling myself a "bad mom" and checking to see whether she could still walk. In fact, she seemed unharmed and was able to leap about as well as ever.

For cats, households and humans present many very real dangers. Cleaning products and insecticides, clothes dryers, Tylenol and other medications, unsupervised play with string or yarn, and houseplants are just a few risks for inside cats. Cats who are allowed outdoors face even greater dangers.

As a responsible pet guardian I try to keep my home as cat-safe as possible with some basic "rules." Check the clothes dryer for a napping cat before turning it on and keep the dryer door shut except during loading. Always read the label to make sure a product is safe for cats before using any household cleaner or insecticide. (Some products that would be safe for dogs can be deadly for cats - including those containing phenols, such as Lysol, and flea control products meant for dogs.) Get rid of houseplants that are poisonous to cats. Put away knitting and sewing projects when they're not in use. These rules are well-founded. I once turned my back on a pincushion for only a minute - long enough for my cat to get a needle wedged into the roof of her mouth. And, those tales of cats being killed in the clothes dryer - I personally know of three such cases.

Life among humans is risky for cats even when we observe all the safety rules. Living with a cat has its risks for humans, too. I was once owned by a cat whose coat was exactly the same color as my carpet. At any time of the day or night he might be found sleeping on his back, spread-eagled in the middle of the dimly lit hallway. I'd often lose my balance during a last second maneuver to avoid stepping on him. "You're flirting with death, buster," I'd warn. But day after day, night after night, year after year, the cat never altered his behavior. Miraculously, he never did get smushed. I, on the other hand, suffered several serious sprains.

Another one of my cats was in the habit of meowing at the sliding door to be let out. As soon as I opened the door she'd have second thoughts and sit at the opening for a seeming eternity deciding whether to stay in or go out. Invariably, at the exact moment when my patience ran out and I started to close the door, she'd make a dash for the other side. Invariably, I'd catch a little bit of the fuzz on her tail in the jamb and earn myself a yowl of protest and a dirty look. Thus ran the vicious cycle. The cat, eying me more suspiciously each time, waited longer and longer before making her dash to the other side. The result was…. you know. There were many times that I smashed my finger keep the door from closing on her tail.

This same cat, when I walk down stairs in the dark, dashes across the path only inches in front of my feet. She knows that by the time I lose my balance and fall I'll be no danger to her. Yeowwwch! I complain. She ignores me, confident that I would rather break my neck than risk hurting her. Which brings me to the most important safety lesson of all -- know where your cat is at all times. The life you save may be your own!