Halloween is too Scary!

Wearing our Halloween kerchiefs 

We like doing tricks to get treats!  I think all dogs do. But not all dogs like when humans do trick or treat on Halloween.

Sure, some dogs like to get dressed up in costumes but some dogs don’t.  DixieLee and I don’t like to be dressed up.  We like pretty collars and even kerchiefs but say no to anything else.

Our job is to protect our house.  We get overwhelmed when lots of peoples come to our house on Halloween night.  And it’s not just that there are lots of them, they don’t look like friendly peoples, some look very, very scary!

And then there are the “treats”.  In our house, we get treats that are sort of healthy.  On Halloween, most treats are not so healthy.  In fact, some of them are so bad they can make a dog died.  Lots of peoples buy chocolate candy and chocolate is poison to dogs!

Chocolate isn’t the only treat that is bad.  Some candy is made with Xylitol, a make believe sweetener.  Xylitol is poisonous to dogs and cats!  Treats that peoples think are healthy, like raisins, can make dogs really sick too.  So if your humans give chocolate or other treat to the peoples who come to the door, make sure they keep it out of reach.  Even though we know certain things are bad for us, they can be awfully tempting.

Empty candy wrappers are also tempting but if you eat them the foil and cellophane can get caught up in your belly and make you so sick you could died or at least have to go to the vet and get an operation.  Everyone knows that operations are not fun so it is best not to eat stuff you shouldn’t.

There are things we don’t eat that are also dangerous for pets at Halloween (and other times too).  Candles make a house look spooky but they can cause a big fire if they get knocked over by a super excited tail.

Childrens like toys called Glow Sticks.  Glow sticks and glow jewelry are fun toys for children to carry on Halloween.  If you live in a house with cats, tell them that glow sticks are really pretty but that they should not chew on them.  The stuff that makes the glow will make you sick!

DixieLee and I going to stay in the bedroom and listen to pretty music on Halloween and let Mom and Dad deal with the scary peoples that come.  We can trust them to do a good job one day out of the year.

Have a happy and safe Halloween,

Zeva

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Scary Times

Halloween is supposed to be scary fun.  I get the scary part but not the fun part.  For many pets, including me, Halloween is scary and stressful and can even be dangerous.

The parts of Halloween that make it fun for humans, especially for little humans, are the least fun for pets.  Here are some reasons why.

1.  Treats.

Little humans like to go from house to house and beg for treats.  I get the begging for treats part.  I am a very good begger of treats but I don’t like when anybody else beg at my house!  They are MY treats and on top of that, it is my job to protect our house.  It is really hard to protect our house when someone comes to the door every two minutes.

If your pet is like me (and DixieLee, who also is in charge of protecting our house) you might want to put them in their crate in a room where they don’t have to deal with all the opening and closing of the door.

Also, it will make sure that they can’t get scared and run outside when the door is opened.

Remember that the treats that little humans like can make pets sick.  We all know that chocolate is dangerous for dogs and the Xylitol, the artificial sweetener, can be poison too.

2. Costumes.

Dressing up in scary or funny costumes is fun for humans but not all pets like to dressed up in costumes.  DixieLee and I don’t.  I will wear a pretty kerchief now and then but she doesn’t even like to dress up in a kerchief.  If you are going to dress a pet in a costume, please make sure they like it and that the costume does not limit movement, sight, the ability to breath, bark or meow, drink and eat.  Make sure there is nothing that can be chewed off and choke or can get twisted and injury the pet.

I already said I don’t like when peoples come to our house to beg and it is even worse when they are wearing scary costumes.  They might be peoples I know but it hard to tell when they have masks on.

3. Decorations.

Mom is not a fan of Halloween either but she loves Autumn so we do some decorating.  Sometimes we have pumpkins or corn stalks, or Indian corn or some other “Autumn” kind of decorations.  They look pretty!

Pumpkin is a good food for dogs but not after it has been out and gets mold.  Lots of peoples put burning candles in their carved pumpkins or burn candles around the house.  Burning candles are very dangerous around pets.  One good sweep of an excited tail can mean a big fire and no place to live.  Yikes!

Halloween can be fun for humans and non-stressful for pets when remember a few simple things. 

Happy Halloween,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion.  For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe check out pawpalsboutique.com

Bad Luck For Black Cats

I love humans but sometimes they are very confusing creatures. Take for example what they think of black cats. Lots of people think that black cats bring bad luck. Witches, the bad kind in spooky stories, always have a black cat as a pet so black cats must be evil too.

Even when people say they don’t really believe that black cats are bad luck, there must be a part of them that does because when they go to find a new pet at an animal shelter, they don’t even look at the black cats.

I read a study that said black cats are two-thirds less likely to get adopted than white cats and half as likely to get adopted as tabbies. It is so unfair that just because they have a black coat, they stay in shelters almost two times longer than other color cats.
Some shelters spend lots of effort to get black cats adopted. They take really pretty pictures of them and put those pictures in newspaper and television ads.

There is one time of year when some shelters don’t want to let black cats be adopted. That time is around Halloween. A black cat, like any animal that gets adopted should be part of the family.  They should be loved and pampered.  A black cat is not an accessory to a Halloween costume.

Worse yet, there are really bad people out there who want to hurt black cats at Halloween time! I think those peoples should be put in a cage and only be let out to pee twice a day.

I know the people who read my blog are super good people so if you are thinking of adopting a cat any time soon, please think about adopting a black cat. They are just as loving as other color cats and they purr just and loud.

Have a happy and safe Halloween,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe, go to pawpalsboutique.com 

Ghosts, Goblins and Pets, Oh My!

It's almost time for Halloween and Trick or Treating.  Just like with human kids, Halloween can be fun or really scary for us fur babies.  Here are some ways to keep pets safe and still have fun.
There is no way I am dressing up in a costume.  I will wear a pretty new halter or collar (one with precious stones would be nice), or even a silk scarf as a fashion accessory (okay, a kerchief) but NO  funny costume!  Lots of dogs, like my friend Sophie, do like to dress up.  So check with your pet first to make sure they like dressing up.  Also,  check the costume for anything that can be chewed off and choke on.
If you are staying at home and giving out the treats, please keep the candy bowl out of reach. Candy is very tempting but things in candy like xylitol (artificial sweetener) and chocolate are very dangerous.  Pumpkins aren't poisonous but they can cause tummy aches if we munch too much.  And don't forget that lighted candles inside the pumpkin are super dangerous not only for pets.
Trick or Treaters coming to the door is very exciting.  I love to bark whenever the doorbell rings and I like to race my humans to the door to see who has come to visit me.  Remember that we can't tell the difference between children in scary monster costumes and real scary monsters. So if your pet is afraid, it's okay to let him or her stay in their crate where it is safe.
An open door is an invitation to join in the fun.  Please make sure your pets have proper id just in case they decide to go out on their own on Halloween night.
Have a Safe and Happy Halloween,
Your friend
Zeva

Cats Are People Too

Black cats, because they are associated with witches, are one of the popular Halloween symbols.  Like many symbols, their roots go a long way back.

Superstitions surrounding black cats go way, way back in history. In early Egypt cats were worshipped and you could be killed yourself if you killed a black cat.  Just like today, cats were considered a member of the family and when one died, the family was very sad.

By the 17th century black cats began to be associated with witchcraft and instead of being a good omen, black cats became a bad omen.  It depends on what part of the world you live in because in some countries, like Japan, having a black cat cross your path is considered a good thing while here in the good ol' USA, it is considered bad luck.

Here are some other superstitions about black cats:

It's Good Luck

To own a black cat
Have one greet you at the door
Have one come i to your home
See three black cats in succession
To pet a black cat

It's Bad Luck

To meet a black cat early in the morning
Have a black cat turn its back on you
and
To walk under a ladder that a black cat has walked underneath.

Because black cats are a popular symbol of Halloween some people think it would be fun to have a black cat of their own so they go to the shelters and get one only to realize that a black cat, like any pet, is a lot of responsibility and they need to be treated with love and respect.

So please, if you are dressing up as a witch for Halloween and want to have a black cat to carry around, get a plush one in the toy department of Walmart or Target.  Plush animals are soft and cuddly but don't need as much LTC as real ones.

Have a Happy Halloween

Your friend
Zeva

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