I can’t believe it is October already. Where did the summer go? Oh that is right,not much of a summer here in the North West.

My favorite month is October for many reasons, one is the spooky little creatures that come to my door every October 31 and while everyone enjoys treats and tricks, we mustn’t forget our four-legged furry friends.

I found these tips from the Pet Sitters International webpage and thought I would post them here.

5 tips to ensure pets stay safe, comfortable.

When asked about his plans for Halloween, Garfield, the world’s most finicky feline, said, “Halloween is my kind of a holiday. Not like those other stupid holidays. I don’t get pine needles in my paws. There’s no dumb bunnies, no fireworks, no relatives, just candy. Boom, you go out, you get candy. It’s as simple as that.”

Halloween can be a traumatic and even dangerous time for pets. As the only “Garfield-approved” pet-sitting association, Pet Sitters International cautioned the fat cat about eating candy.

The association shares these suggestions with its members, and the 740,000 pet owners who use its members’ services, in hopes that all pets have a howlin’ good Halloween.

1. Think things through before putting your pet in a Halloween costume. Unless your dog or cat is extremely receptive to this kind of thing, you could be causing discomfort and stress. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume doesn’t obstruct your pet’s vision and isn’t uncomfortable or unsafe.

2. Know when to say “No!” This isn’t news to anyone, but dogs and cats will beg for treats. But please remember that Halloween goodies are for the Trick-or-Treaters, not pets. Most pet owners know that chocolate is poisonous to pets, but candies made with the sugar substitute xylitol are also dangerous. Candy wrappers can also pose a problem. Be sure to keep candy and candy wrappers out of paw’s reach.

3. Your pets might not be the party animals in your family. If you’re having a party, put your pets in a room where they won’t be disturbed. Be sure to check on them and reassure them that everything is all right. They may not be prepared to take part in the Halloween fun, but they don’t want to be isolated and ignored, either. Also don’t give alcoholic beverages to dogs, cats, birds or any other animals. Keep a watchful eye on party guests. Some may think it’s funny to give an animal alcohol, but it can result in serious illness and even death.

4. Don’t let your pets become escape artists. Be extra careful that cats or dogs don’t dart outside through an open door. Once a pet is out the door, its familiar neighborhood can become unfamiliar and scary territory on Halloween. House and yard decorations, Trick-or-Treaters and increased traffic can panic an escaped pet. A panicked pet may run too far from home to find its way back.

5. (Fire) safety first. Pets don’t understand that small fires are inside of Jack-O-Lanterns. Dogs, particularly enthusiastic tail-waggers, can easily knock over a pumpkin and cause a fire. Curious kittens also run the risk of getting burned. Place Jack-O-Lanterns where they can’t be knocked over by swinging tails or prying paws.

Most of all, have a safe and fun filled Halloween.

With Halloween just around the corner, there are a few things you need to be aware of to keep your pets safe, sound and happy.

• First remember that dogs don’t know that those little wrapped packages of candy are not for them. Keep out of reach, Chocolate can be lethal for some dogs and wrappers or hard objects, such as lollipop sticks can cause choking hazards.
• If you have lighted pumpkins or those little sacks with candles in them, keep your dogs well away. One strong wag of the tail can cause these lighted Halloween decorations to tip and possibly cause a fire hazard.
• If your pet is anxious or frightened easily by loud noises or strangers, try keeping them in a seperate room and well away from the door.
• If your pet has to be part of Halloween and the dress finery, be sure that the costume they are wearing doe not pose a choking hazard, block their air passages or tempararily blind them.
• If your pet does dash out the door unexpectedly, be sure to have proper indentification tags on their collar. If they are chipped, be sure their information is up to date.

We here at Pawcific NW Petsitting wish you and yours a safe and Happy Halloween

I read an interesting article about how many black dogs and cats are passed over by people during the potential adoption process. This leaves a vast majority of these animals left behind in shelters to be euthinanized.

In fact just the other day I was at the local humane office updating my dogs tags and like always, because its too hard not to, I went into to see the cats and dogs. There were a mix of dog colors, but unfortunately, there were far too many black cats up for adoption.

Just what is the stigma behind the cause of this? I decided to look into this a bit more. There is no real explanation or solid facts,however even in this day and age there is still the stigma of black animals portrayed in a demonic and/or supernatural light. Black cats crossing your path is one superstition.

Another reason I found was the belief that black dogs and cats tend to shed more than light dogs and cats. I will stop right here and tell you that I have four dogs..they are all different colors, tan, white, red and black. My tan and red dogs shed waaay more than my black dog does. So..for what its worth that belief has now been debunked in my house.

Another sad fact is that dark animals are hard to see in most shelters that are dimly light. Its harder to read their features and when people  look on rescue sites, for instance Pet Finder , the black animals just do not do well in photo’s. They don’t show enough because most lighting is poor when pictures are taken or they have premature greying. It is also known that black fur turns white earlier in a dog or cat. (I know I have a black Pug, who is only 2.5 years old and she is already greying around her muzzle.)

 Cats are, in fact the hardest to adopt. There is the supertition related to Friday the 13th and so on. Next month is October, which is notoriously seen as black cat month. Its sad really. These animals deserve more than to be catorgized with beliefs, sometimes deep seated.

Shelters across the nation are going to great measure to combat this syndrome. From dressing the animals up in colorful attire when taking their pictures, to have half price adoption days.

So the next time your thinking about adopting, consider a black dog or cat. They are  just as loving, playful and full of personality as the lighter colored dogs and cats.

I know my little black Pug is quite the firecracker and I would not trade her for anything!