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FDA Reports of pet illness, deaths related to jerky treats
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Tag Archives: cats
Halloween Dangers for Your Pet
First section courtesy of Cesar’s Way Magazine.
There are some scary Halloween dangers for your dog that you need to watch out for.
1) Halloween candy can be toxic to your dog.
Don’t let your dog eat Halloween candy. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and tin foil and cellophane wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. Seal your child’s stash and keep out of reach.
2) Be careful with candles near your dog!
Sometimes a stray tail can knock over a candle-lit pumpkin leading to a fire. Consider using a no flame, no mess alternative to light up your jack-o-lantern.
3) Wires and cords could harm your dog.
Make sure to safely secure all wires and cords from decorative lights and props. Chewing on cords could cause cuts, burns or possibly life-threatening electrical shock.
4) Door bells can be scary for your dog.
All but the most social dogs should be kept away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat hours. All those strangers repeatedly ringing the bell can be very scary and stressful.
5) Keep your dog’s ID on!
Sometimes accidents happen and while you are frequently opening the door for trick-or-treaters your pup may make a run for it. The proper identification can be a lifesaver.
Let’s Not Forget, Too, It’s Black Cat Month
Sadly, shelters have recently seen a trend in the number of black cats that are adopted at this time of year, and then are suddenly returned stating they “just didn’t work out”. Some of these “adopters” just want people to see a black cat in their window for the season, or have a familiar to go with their witch costume. Basically, they think of cats as property and not as fellow beings with feelings.
Many shelters and humane societies refuse to allow adoption of black cats during the month of October, because of fears the animals may be abused. For this reason, we suggest you are particularly careful to watch out for all your cats at this time, not only the black coated fur babies.
Some Notes About Costuming From The ASPCA
Not all pets like costumes, but the few who do seem to love mugging for the camera. Still, if your pet hates a costume, best not to stress them. Festive bandanas are always in season!
If your pet is wearing a costume, make sure it doesn’t constrict movement or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Make sure the outfit does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Badly fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
If your pet is wearing a costume, make sure it doesn’t constrict movement or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Make sure the outfit does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Badly fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
Here’s to a fun and safe holiday for you and your pets!
Finding The Right Food For Your Cat
I confess, I feed my cats dry food. Are you surprised? Cats don’t have much of a thirst drive, so they need wet food to get enough water to survive. Lisa Pierson, DVM believes that cats should be fed wet food only. That certainly would be the safest thing to do.
I also free feed my cats. That is, Joy and I leave a bowl of dry food out all day so the cats can eat as they please. Yes, water is out all day also but even before I read Dr. Pierson’s article I noticed they didn’t drink much of the water. Cats that aren’t getting enough water will develop urinary tract infections, which can be fatal if left untreated. The problem is how do you know when your cat isn’t feeling well, and if you do know will you catch it in time? We feed our cats wet food about three times a week, and that has been working well for us.
How to choose a brand? There really aren’t many rating good sites out there. Go here first:
http://www.catinfo.org. This is Dr. Pierson’s site. While there are no brand specific recommendations, the site is jam packed with great nutritional information and advice on how to choose a commercial cat food so I encourage you to spend some time there.
Then go here:
This is an easy to use tool to find a brand that is a fit for your cat. The PetSmart engine will suggest brands, then use the information from Catinfo.org to pick just the right one to meet the nutritional needs of your cat.
I said at the beginning that I feed my cats dry food. How do you find the right dry cat food? To tell the truth, I use the dog food reviews mentioned last week in my column Dog Food Advisor and trust that they put the same care into mixing their cat food.
How do you find a good brand for your cat? Let me know at: Dave@yourpetspace.info
Dave Jones is an insurance sales desk supervisor by day and a professional magician by night. He lives with his wife Joy in Anderson, Ohio, but grew up on a farm with pigs, chickens and cows as well as dogs and cats. You can e-mail Dave as well as follow him on Facebook.
Saturday Guest Blog: OUR LAST AUGUST WITH AUGGIE
There’s an old saying my grandma used to live by: Each day is a blessing. This idea is true for humans as well as animals. Currently I have four beautiful felines in my life plus a couple of “grand-kitties”, one “grand-dog” and other assorted family and neighbor pet buddies. Animals make me complete, and I can’t imagine a life without my furfriends. I am blessed to be connected to such loving beings.
Last summer, we lost a dear companion.
Auggie, named for the month of August when we found her as a stray kitten 15 ½ years ago, is no longer with us. She was a wonderful, willowy Maine Coon with stripes, swirls and tufts between her toes.
Auggie was a fairly low-maintenance and unassuming kitty. Even at the end of life, she made it easy because we never had to make a difficult decision about what to do for her. She passed to the Rainbow Bridge quickly and easily.
The evening before, we knew something was odd. She gave us signs that it was going to happen. Auggie was mild-mannered and a distant kind of cat. She liked being in the room with people, but she wasn’t a cuddler. She was aloof anyway, but we sensed something else.
She dozed in unusual spots around the house, had no interest in eating or drinking, was lethargic and generally was oblivious, even when the drooling, dramatic and zealous grand-puppy came for a visit. There wasn’t much we could do on a Sunday night but be mindful of her behavior.
Just as she moved around in real-life, she passed swiftly and gracefully the next morning with my daughter and me close by. We even had my out-of-town daughter on iChat, so she could see and say her farewell too.
Later that week, when Auggie’s kitty ashes had been processed and returned to us, we planned a pet memorial service. Our other four surviving cats joined my husband and our kids in the living room. (Anyone who owns cats knows you cannot MAKE one sit for a eulogy, but ours did. They seemed to know and sat beside the discreet paper sack, which held a small wooden box containing Auggie’s cremains.) My husband read a brief bio of Auggie, and I read a poem I’d written about her. Then we went to our back yard into a private, tree-filled area, read Psalm 23 and gently spread her ashes into a hole I’d dug earlier that morning. We also passed the small shovel and deposited dirt into the hole to give our Auggie a true “Mewish” funeral.
When the loss of a beloved pet happens, it has a profound effect on the humans and the other animals. For us, planning a simple but meaningful service was necessary. It gave respect to Auggie’s not-too-dramatic yet influential life. It gave us a feeling of closure and accomplishment. Our remaining animals even had a chance to be present with all of us and process the loss in their own way. After the memorial was over, we held our four remaining earthly kitties and assured them of our love and continued devotion.
Believe me, they understood.
Paige Adams Strickland is the recently published author of, Akin to the Truth: A Memoir of Adoption and Identity. She is a Spanish teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio and is married with two daughters and a son-in-law. She has owned both cats and dogs but currently has four cats. Her book blog is www.akintothetruth.squarespace.com, and she welcomes visits and comments there. Her book is available on iPad, Kindle and as a print version at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/akin-to-the-truth/id711164304?ls=1 or:
Funny Friday
Sent in by Paige S:
“Texts From Mittens” Is The Best Blog About Text Messages From A Cat Ever
From Jeanne J:
And check this one out:
Have a great day, everyone!
The Do It Yourself Pet Parent
When we first launched, one of our polls revealed that pet owners would like to know how to make their own healthy treats for their fur babies, and also fun, teaching toys. Your Pet Space scoured the web and found the following links:
TOYS
33 Dog Toys You Can Make From Things Around the House
Make Your Own Homemade Rabbit Toys
Cat Toys
Five Cheap Bird Toys You Can Make at Home
And, our fav:
TREATS
Recipe Ideas for Quick and Healthy Homemade Dog Treats
Diabetic Dog Treats
Cat Treats: Homemade Cat Food Recipes
Bird Food and Treat Recipes
Homemade Rat Treats
And our fav:
We would LOVE to have you send in to us your toy ideas and natural recipes for treats or food! Just post on our Facebook page, comment here or e-mail to joy@yourpetspace.info
Joy Jones is a syndicated columnist living with her husband Dave in Anderson, Ohio. When not working on Your Pet Space, she writes a metaphyscial column called The Midwestern Buddhist as well as urban fantasy and humor. You can e-mail her at joy@yourpetspace.info as well as follow her on Facebook or Twitter.