10 Halloween Safety Tips for Pets

Halloween can be a festive and fun time for children and families. But for pets? Let's face it, it can be a downright nightmare. Forgo the stress and dangers this year by following these 10 easy tips.

1. Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets.

All forms of chocolate -- especially baking or dark chocolate -- can be dangerous, even lethal, for dogs and cats. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning may include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and seizures. Halloween candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar and subsequent loss of coordination and seizures. And while xylitol toxicity in cats has yet to be established, it's better to be safe than sorry.

2. Don't leave pets out in the yard on Halloween.

Surprisingly, vicious pranksters have been known to tease, injure, steal, and even kill pets on Halloween night. Inexcusable? Yes! But preventable nonetheless.

3. Keep pets confined and away from the door.

Not only will your door be constantly opening and closing on Halloween, but strangers will be dressed in unusual costumes and yelling loudly for their candy. This, of course, is scary for our furry friends. Dogs are especially territorial and may become anxious and growl at innocent trick-or-treaters. Putting your dog or cat in a secure room away from the front door will also prevent them from darting outside into the night … a night when no one wants to be searching for a lost loved one.

4. Keep your outdoor cats inside several days before and several days after Halloween.

Black cats are especially at risk from pranks or other cruelty-related incidents. In fact, many shelters do not adopt out black cats during the month of October as a safety precaution.

5. Keep Halloween plants such as pumpkins and corn out of reach.

Although they are relatively nontoxic, such plants can induce gastrointestinal upset should your pets ingest them in large quantities. Intestinal blockage can even occur if large pieces are swallowed. And speaking of pumpkins …

6. Don't keep lit pumpkins around pets.

Should they get too close, they run the risk of burning themselves or knocking it over and causing a fire.

7. Keep wires and electric light cords out of reach.

If chewed, your pet could cut himself or herself on shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

8. Don't dress your pet in a costume unless you know they'll love it.

If you do decide that Fido or Kitty needs a costume, make sure it isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict movement, hearing, or the ability to breathe or bark and meow.

9. Try on pet costumes before the big night.

If they seem distressed, allergic, or show abnormal behavior, consider letting them go in their “birthday suit”. Festive bandanas usually work for party poopers, too.

10. IDs, please!

If your dog or cat should escape and become lost, having the proper identification will increase the chances that they will be returned. Just make sure the information is up-to-date, even if your pet does have one of those fancy-schmancy embedded microchips.

Source: PetMD

Tiny Kitten Seeks Refuge Under Car Hood, Suffers Severe Injuries

While winter weather poses many threats to animals, perhaps one of the most serious dangers occurs when cats and other small animals seek warmth from the engines of parked cars. One such unlucky cat was Flapjack, a tiny kitten found on the side of the road in New York City last December. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan spotted Flapjack and brought him to the ASPCA Animal Hospital.

It was clear that Flapjack had been caught in a car’s engine. He was suffering from multiple serious injuries, including a fractured lower jaw, a severe tongue laceration and other wounds.

ASPCA Veterinarian Dr. Maren Krafchik says the hospital staff performed the first of three surgeries on Flapjack that same day, including using wire to repair his jaw and inserting a feeding tube to help him eat.

This brave little kitten is now happy and healthy with his foster parent, an ASPCA veterinary technician. He had his feeding tube removed and can now eat normally, and the swelling he experienced as a result of his injuries has gone down a great deal.

We’re so relieved that Flapjack has recovered, but his story provides a valuable lesson to anyone who drives during the winter months. According to Dr. Krafchik, there are multiple ways to prevent such injuries, including:

• knocking on the hood of your car
• honking your car’s horn
• checking under your car’s hood to ensure that a small animal is not inside.  If you start your car and hear something unusual, turn off your engine immediately.

To Keep your pets healthy and safe this winter, check out the full list of cold weather pet care tips, just CLICK HERE.

RESOURCE:  http://www.aspca.org/nyc/aspca-animal-hospital

Winter Care and Safety for Feral Cats *PLEASE SHARE ON ALL YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKS*

With much of the East Coast now buried in snow, you may be wondering how outdoor cats are surviving. In fact, even though stray and feral cats are at home outside, they can always use some extra help in cold or severe weather. Here’s what you can do to help them stay safe, warm and healthy during the winter months.

Car Safety: Before starting your car, give the hood a tap and check between the tires — cats will sometimes crawl into the engine or hide underneath the car for warmth. This is also the time of year for antifreeze, which often tastes irresistible to cats and other animals, but is toxic and deadly. Keep it out of reach and clean up any spills!

Shelter: Keep your feral cat colonies comfortable this winter by providing them with a shelter.  Dog houses can also do the trick with a few modifications.

• Whether you’re buying or building, make sure the door is no bigger than 6-8″ wide to keep out other animals. If you’re modifying a dog house, you’ll need to block off part of the door to make it cat-sized. A flap on the door will also keep snow, rain, and wind out.
• Insulate the shelter with straw to repel moisture and keep cats warm and dry (note: Make sure it’s straw, but not hay, because hay absorbs moisture). Blankets may seem like a good idea, but since they are also extremely absorbent, they make bad bedding.
• Cats will huddle together inside for warmth, so provide colonies with multiple shelters that can fit three to five cats each. If you are caring for fewer cats, use a smaller shelter so it takes less body heat to warm up.
• Elevate shelters off the ground and place them in quiet areas away from foot traffic.
• Remember to shovel out the cats when you’re shoveling your own driveway. Cats in shelters can get snowed in, so keep entrances clear and shovel an exit for cats who may be taking refuge under bushes, porches, or other hiding spots.
• Stay away from salt and chemical melting products. These products can be toxic to animals and harmful to their natural snowshoes — paws!

Food and water: When temperatures drop, provide extra food and water, and try to keep it from freezing.

 Other feeding tips:

• Feed the cats on a regular schedule. That way, the cats will know when to come around, and both the food and the cats will spend less time out in the cold.
• Feed wet food — it’s easier to digest, so cats save more energy for keeping warm. Since wet food is also quicker to freeze, make sure you put out dry food too. And feed larger portions than you would in warm weather.
• Spray insulation foam into the underside of plastic feeding dishes to keep wet food from becoming fishcicles! (Or chickencicles, turkeycicles, etc. …)
• Change water bowls twice daily to keep water from freezing. Use deep bowls rather than wide ones, and refill them with hot or warm water. If the colony is close to an outlet, heated electric water bowls will also do the trick.
• Here’s a trade secret: Add a pinch of sugar to the water to keep it from freezing as quickly (and to provide an energy boost for the cats!)

RESOURCE:  

PETFINDER BLOG

Author Becky Robinson is the president and founder of Alley Cat Allies.

Protect Community Cats from Cold Weather

Some of the coldest weather in years will move over much of the eastern half of the nation into the first part of the week. Please take these steps to protect your community cats.

* Cold weather can increase a cat's energy and nutritional needs. Don't forget extra water to prevent dehydration. Check it often and place in an area protected from the wind to minimize freezing.

* Wet food in insulated containers is ideal for cold-weather feeding-because it takes less energy to digest, that's more energy for keeping warm. Cats need more food for energy in the winter.

* Use two storage bins (like Rubbermaid). Line the bins with Styrofoam and cut out a doorway to create an instant shelter.

Visit http://alleycatadvocates.org/resources/creating-winter-shelters/ for other ideas.

* In a Pinch, a cardboard shelter is better than no shelter. To keep it from getting wet, elevate off the ground, line with newspapers and cover the lid with plastic (a garbage bag will do).

* Use sheets of plywood to weigh down lightweight shelters made from plastic, cardboard, styrofoam, etc.

* Cats rely on body heat to stay warm, so keep your shelters small for colonies with just a few cats. For more populated colonies, go with multiple shelters of a larger size.

* Because it resists moisture, straw is the top choice for insulation and bedding in your feral cat shelters. Avoid blankets, which absorb moisture like a sponge.

  

STRAW IS THE BEST BEDDING

* Cats can get snowed in, so it's important to remove snow from all entrances and exits to their shelters. Shovel regularly to stay ahead of the game.

* Avoid using salts and chemicals designed to melt snow near your colonies. They can be toxic when licked off paws or ingested from melting puddles, and can hurt a cat's paw pads.

SOURCE:  Alley Cat Advocates:   www.alleycatadvocates.org

Tail End Of The Cat's Meow ONLINE Raffle and Wheel of Chance

We're at the tail end of The Cat's Meow ONLINE Raffle and Wheel of Chance.

Only 48 hours ... Wheel of Chance closes Friday, September 6th at 10pm

This is our biggest fundraiser of the year.  Don't miss the fun or the chance to save the lives of Louisville's community cats.

PLEASE share this link to these items and more with friends. 

for event information and raffle and wheel of chance tickets!   

Please Visit Alley Cat Advocates (CLICK THE LINK OR JUST COPY & PASTE IT) 

Website:  www.alleycatadvocates.org/catsmeow/ 

Ticket sales end on September 6th.