No Tricks...Just Treats!

Can you smell the mischief in the air?  Its Halloween!  Even if you're all grown-up, you probably still get a happy little tingle of excitement from this haunting holiday, but our pets often find it truly scary.  All the spooky decorations, weird sound effects, and people coming to the door dressed in strange costumes can be quite overwhelming and stressful for our furry friends.  Here are a few tips on how to take some of the terror out of this freaky holiday for our pets.

 
1.  Keep Halloween happenings on the down-low:  Before the trick-or-treating starts, put your pets in a quiet room where they will be away from all the Halloween activities and can feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed.  Even if you're just having friends over for a Halloween party, keep your pets away from the festivities.  Masks and costumes change how people look and smell to a pet, so even familiar people may become frightening to them.

 

2.  Stow all the Halloween treats out of pets' reach:  Many of the yummy goodies collected on Halloween such as chocolate, gum and xylitol (a sweetener used in many foods), are hazardous to animals so you want to be sure to stash them in a secure place out of your pet's reach.  Keep these treats away from your children unless you are observing them as they may make the harmful mistake of sharing with their four-legged companions.

 

3.  Steer your pets away from dangerous decorations:  Changes to your home can make your pets, especially cats, nervous or frightened.  Never leave your pets alone with Halloween decorations.  Also, be aware of which decorations pose threats.  Some hazards are obvious, like lit candles, but here are some other dangerous decorations.  Rubber eyeballs (choking risk), glow sticks and fake blood (possible poisons), and fake cobwebs (can choke or entangle pets).

 

4.  Be cautious with pet costumes:  Did you know that about half of pet owners dress their pets in costumes for Halloween?  Although most pets are happiest wearing nothing but their birthday suits, if you do choose to dress up your pet, forgo masks, anything that covers eyes or ears, and everything that might tangle in your pet's legs.  Make sure the costume is comfortable and allows your pet to move freely.  Remove any chewable parts or objects that could come off and choke your pet.  If your pet appears uncomfortable, take the costume off right away.  Signs of discomfort may include folded down ears, eyes rolling back or looking sideways, a tucked tail and hunching over

 

5.  Protect your pets from outdoor dangers:  Bring your pets indoors before dark.  Cats are always safest inside with you, but with all the evil pranksters running about on Halloween, it’s especially important to secure all pets inside.  Opening the door repeatedly for trick-or-treaters also creates plenty of opportunities for a pet to slip outside and disappear into the night.  In case they do escape, make sure that all of your pets are wearing tags with current IDs or consider microchips for them.  

 

Now if you really want to get into the spirit of Halloween and make a PAWsitive impact at the same time, consider adopting a black cat.  Shelters are over-run with black cats year-round but especially at this time of year.  Why?  Black cats are just as playful and affectionate as any other cat and still deserve the unconditional love of a real family.  October 29th is National Cat Day, so what a PURfect time to give a beautiful black kitty cat the ultimate Halloween treat...a FURever home! 

 

Happy tails to you until we meet again!

Are You Smarter Than A Dog Or Cat Whisperer?

Do you consider yourself or someone you know a walking dog encyclopedia?  Well, how about a little "pup quiz" to prove (or disprove) it!  Some of these questions may seem easy, but let's see what you think by the end.  Get all of them correct and consider yourself a dog’s best friend!  The answers are shown below...but DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SNEAKING A PEAK! 

 

1.  How many teeth do normal adult dogs have?
A) 24
B) 38
C) 42
D) 32

2.  Through what part of the body do dogs sweat?

A) Mouth
B) Ears
C) Nose
D) Paws

3.  True or False:  Dogs can only see in black and white.

4.  What is a dog’s most highly developed sense?
A) Taste
B) Smell
C) Sight
D) Touch

5.  A female dog delivers her pups after how many weeks?

A) 36
B) 22
C) 9
D) 16

6.  Which dog breed has a black tongue?

A) Husky
B) Labrador
C) Weimaraner
D) Chow chow

7.  The first dogs registered in the American Kennel Club belonged to what group?

A) Herding
B) Sporting
C) Working
D) Hound

8.  Which dog breed yodels instead of barks?

A) Komondor
B) Otterhound
C) Basenji
D) Basset hound

9.  True or False:  Dalmatians are born with spots.

10.  According to the American Kennel Club’s registrations, what is the most popular dog breed?

A) Golden retriever
B) Beagle
C) German Shepherd
D) Labrador

 

Answers:
1.  C) 42
2.  D) Paws
3.  False.  Dogs can see multiple colors, though not as many as humans.
4.  B) Smell
5.  C) 9 weeks
6.  D) Chow chow
7.  B) Sporting Group
8.  C) Basenji
9.  False.  Dalmatian puppies are born white, their spots come in later.
10.  D) Labrador

 

And for those of you who think you know everything there is to know about cats, let’s put you to the test too and see just how “cat smart” you really are.  If you can get ALL of these questions right, then you must be some kind of a cat genius!  The answers are shown below...but again, NO CHEATING! 

 

1.  On average, how many whiskers does a cat have?
A) 8
B) 12
C) 16
C) 24

2.  People have about 650 skeletal muscles.  How many do cats have?
A) 500
B) 650
C) 800

3.  On average, how many years do outdoor-only cats live?

A) 3 to 5
B) 7 to 10
C) 12 to 15

4.  A term for a group of cats is:

A) Caggle
B) Covey
C) Clutch
D) Clowder

5.  A term for a group of kittens is:

A) Kaggle
B) Kindle
C) Nook
D) Kaboodle

6.  True or False:  A cat, standing in a still position, can jump up to 6 times its own length.

7.  Which of the following is NOT the name of a cat breed? 

A) Balinese
B) Beauceron
C) Birman
D) Burmilla

8.  The thick hair around the face of some cats (such as Persians) is called:

A) Mane
B) Ruff
C) Pelt
D) Shock

9.  How much of their waking hours do cats spend grooming themselves?

A) 11%
B) 33%
C) 66%

10.  Which of the following do cats NOT taste? 

A) Sour
B) Sweet
C) Bitter
D) Salt

 

Answers:
1.  C) 24 whiskers
2.  A) 500 skeletal muscles
3.  A) 3 to 5 years compared to around 15 years for indoor cats!
4.  D) clowder
5.  B) kindle
6.  True
7.  B) Beauceron is the name of a dog breed, not a cat breed
8.  B) ruff
9.  B) 33%
10.  B) sweet

 

OK, how did you do?  Tell me in the comments section.  Meanwhile, share with your family and friends and see how well they know their dog and cat trivia!  Better yet, impress them by whipping out some of these little tid-bits of information at the next social gathering.  What a great conversation starter!  Have fun with these facts about our favorite furry friends! 

 

Happy tails to you until we meet again!