 |
| "Pumpkin on Green Grass" Photo by Pixabay at Pexels.com |
Woofs! Barkingly, Abby and Samson, one of our least favorite holidays is coming up on Sunday, October 31... Halloween!
Meows! Oh, hisses! I don't like this holiday. All the creepy things walking around and coming to the door, really annoy me!
I don't understand what you two are pawing about. It's only a day. It can't be as bad as the 4th of July, can it?
Barks, Abby, you are too young to know about Halloween.
Arf? Oh. Paws, why is it so annoying?
Meows, Mom and Dad do a great job taking care of the three of us during Halloween but some humans don't do it so we'll share these tips to encourage them.
Halloween Candy is for Mini-Humans, Not Your Pets
Paws, save the "trick-or-treat" candy for the mini-humans who stop by in their costumes. Most, if not all, candy, especially chocolates, are toxic to dogs and cats. Candy containing the sugar substitute, xylitol, can cause serious problems for your pets.
Keep the bowl of candy out of reach from your snooping pets. WOOFS! Our youngest puppy, Abby, is always getting into things so our humans will have to be creative.
BARKS! If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately.
Costumes are for Mini-Humans, Not Your Pets, Unless...
Meows! Costumes are not fun for many pets, especially cats. Pawingly, I think they are funny on dogs too. Don't force your pet to wear a costume as they can cause undue stress for them. Pawlease don't put one on your pet unless you pawsitively know they don't mind it.
Paws, if you put a costume on your pet, pawlease make sure it doesn't hinder their ability to see, move, breathe, meow, or bark!
Meowingly, if you pawsitively must put a costume on your pet, pawlease introduce it to them ahead of time. Start by introducing the costume piece by piece allowing them to get used to it. Be sure there are no dangly things or pieces where your pet can chew and pawssibly choke. Offer praise and treats as the pet gets more comfortable with the costume. If your pet shows any signs of distress, pawlease do not force them to wear it; let them go au naturel or a festive bandana! Purrs!
Halloween Decorations, Carved Pumpkins, Electric or Battery Operated
Woofs! Carved pumpkins, candles, and electric or battery-operated decorations make Halloween fun and festive. Pawsly, be sure to pawlace these decorations out of reach of your pets. Cats like to explore, even high places, and puppies, like Abby, get into anything and everything! Barks. A wag of the tail or a paw reaching for a curious item like the candle in a pumpkin can lead to burns and start fires.
Battery-operated decorations can be less dangerous for your pets and just as festive. Barkingly, be sure to hide any loose wires and make sure the battery is securely tightened in the item.
Don't Leave Your Pets in the Backyard
Woofs! Abby and I love to play and run and do the zoomies in the backyard every day. Well, Abby does the zoomies, I'm a little older these days. Barks.
Pawlease bring your pets inside over Halloween as there are humans who kidnap dogs and cats to do things that are not mentionable in a family-oriented website like this. Black cats are especially targeted and sometimes black dogs! If you are unable to bring them inside, pawlease stay in the backyard to keep an eye on them. Barks, another alternative is crating in the garage with warm blankets, water, and treats is a safe way too.
Provide a Safe Room, Keep Pet Away from Front Door
Meows! I love my room! It provides me a safe pawlace to go when I get scared or just want a nap or want to escape the craziness of my human, Dad. On Halloween, my humans like to shut the door to the room so I am not disturbed by the mini-humans trick-or-treating.
Barkingly, Abby and I love our crates as they are our safe pawlaces too. We can go in and relax whenever we want or go out whenever we want to do so. Woofs.
Halloween night with the mini-humans dressed up in scary costumes can be stressful for your pets- even quite frightening. These characters can scare your pets enough for them to bolt out the front door quicker than you know! Paws, do your best to keep your pets securely away from the front door.
Keep Identification Tags, Collars, and Microchips Updated
WOOFS! As we like to paw and bark quite often, make sure your pet's identification tags, collar tags, and microchips are current. Have you moved recently? Have you adopted your pet recently? Make sure all identification is current.
Should your pet escape and go missing, pawlease contact your local animal shelter and neighbors letting them know about your pet.
Keep Glow Sticks Away
Barkingly, glow sticks which you often see mini-humans carrying when trick-or-treating are great ways to keep them safe and well seen by passersby including cars in the neighborhood.
Glow sticks are not poisonous to pets, however, the liquid inside can cause them to become agitated, drool, paw at their mouth and sometimes vomit. If your pet chews on one, offer fresh water and a small meal to clear the material out of their mouth!
Halloween Pawty?
Woofs, are you having a festive Halloween pawty at your house? Remember to keep all alcohol and nicotine products away from your pets. These products can be highly toxic causing illness or even be fatal.
And Finally!
Remember Halloween is supposed to be fun for everyone. Preparing your pet for the day will add to their fun and yours.
No comments:
Post a Comment