Don't feed your pets Halloween candy, especially if it contains chocolate or xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies and gum);
Make sure your pet is properly identified (microchip, collar and ID tag) in case s/he escapes through the open door while you're distracted with trick-or-treaters;
Keep lit candles and jack-o-lanterns out of reach of pets;
If you plan to put a costume on your pet, make sure it fits properly and is comfortable, doesn't have any pieces that can easily be chewed off, and doesn't interfere with your pet's sight, hearing, breathing, opening its mouth, or moving. Take time to get your pet accustomed to the costume before Halloween, and never leave your pet unsupervised while he/she is wearing a costume;
Keep glow sticks and glow jewelry away from your pets. Although the liquid in these products isn't likely toxic, it tastes really bad and makes pets salivate excessively and act strangely;
If your pet is wary of strangers or has a tendency to bite, put him/her in another room during trick-or-treating hours or provide him/her with a safe hiding place;
Keep your pet inside.
Attention, animal lovers, it's almost the spookiest night of the year! The ASPCA recommends taking some common sense precautions this Halloween to keep you and your pet saying "trick or treat!" all the way to November 1.
No tricks, no treats: That bowl of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian.
Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can produce stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.
Wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations should be kept out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet might suffer cuts or burns, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.
A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.
Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume may cause undue stress.
If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also, be sure to try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.
Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.
When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.
IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver, increaing the chances that he or she will be returned to you.
A growing number of people are discovering that parrots make the perfect pet. Parrots are really beautiful, fascinating and super smart creatures. However, you need to learn about caring for them before running out to the breeder and buying the first parrot that you see. Here are a few useful tips for caring for a parrot.
Be ready for a messy and noisy house
Parrots toss fruit peels, seed casings, their toys, and the area around their cage can get very messy. Moreover, there’s also the matter of feathers and droppings. A large parrot can make lots of noise. Whether they are yodeling a country song or yelling nonsense, you cannot count on your parrot to be quiet just because you want to take a nap. Putting them in your garage or shutting them away in an isolated room is not a good option. In this way your parrot will become emotionally disturbed and can behave psychotically.
Consider location and temperature
Although parrots are social creatures, every parrot may have different needs. So depending on your parrot’s temperament, place the cage in the area where your bird will often interact with you. A kitchen is a bad place since cleaning and odors from cooking can be very harmful to your parrot! Parrots can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, so if you keep your house at a comfortable temperature for yourself, your parrot will also be comfortable. Temperature stability is the most important factor. Fluctuating temperatures can have a big effect on your parrot’s health.
Vary your parrot’s diet
No one likes to have the same thing every single day. Your parrot needs a varied diet with a wide range of nutritional value. Don’t feed your parrot seeds only. Discuss with your veterinarian what a better diet for your parrot. It’s usually agreed that a parrot needs a mix of seed, pellet, fresh leafy greens, veggies, legumes, grains and some fruits. Keep in mind that parrots must never be fed chocolate, avocado, alcohol, caffeine, salty or sugary snacks.
Keep an eye on claw, beak and feather health
When your parrot’s claws grow too long, go to a vet to trim them. Never try to do it by yourself since parrots have a very active blood supply to their claws and a cut could lead to a blood loss. Feather and beak condition are a great indicator of health. A lot of parrot deficiencies and diseases show up as poor feather condition or malformations of the beak. If your parrot shows change in feather or beak condition, see your vet as fast as possible.
Teach your parrot to talk
If you want your parrot to talk, you’ll need to spend a lot of time teaching it. If intense, limit your teaching sessions to 15 minutes at a time or just repeat the same words and phrases a few times during your ‘lesson.’ Parrots usually mimic the things they hear most often. Keep the phrases short, two or three words usually work best. After your parrot has mastered some words and phrases, you can teach it some useful communications.
Clean the cage
The bottom of the cage must be cleaned every two days, if your parrot is not too messy. Replace any liners and discard any seeds, shells, gravel, etc. Clean all of the toys in the cage. It’s also recommended to clean up any mess that does not require too much time once a day. Make sure you use a bird-safe disinfectant, which you can buy in your local pet stores.
Replace toys in different places
Once you’ve finished washing the cage, put your parrot’s toys back inside, replacing them in different places. Parrots are very intelligent and intensely curious, and unlike dogs and cats, they like changing stimuli.
Regularly visit the vet
While some parrots can be absolutely healthy forever, most of them still have some health problems, which could be solved with preventative veterinarian consultations. However, make sure your vet is one who sees parrots specifically or you’ll just be wasting your money.
Do you have any other tips for caring for a parrot? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section.
Hamsters are funny, attractive, lively, active, clean and really easy to
care for! The main thing to remember is that your hamster needs enough
space to play, sleep and feed. Check out a few tips for taking care of
your hamster!
Buy an igloo for your hamster
Your hamster needs something to sleep in, so make something in the
cage or buy an igloo for your beloved pet in the pet store. I have four
hamsters and I can say that they really love the igloo-shaped houses to
hide in.
Don’t forget to feed your pet
It’s important not to
forget to feed your hamster. You can feed your hamster a commercially
prepared hamster-food mix twice a day and give a small supply of fresh
fruits and vegetables. If you decide to give your hamster a new food,
introduce it very slowly so he/she can get used to it.
Don’t forget the importance of water for your hamster
Make
sure you keep your hamster supplied with clean water. Placing a bowl of
water in your hamster’s cage won’t work since it can end up with pieces
of food and bedding in it. So buy the type of bottles that attach to
the side of the cage. And don’t forget to refill the bottle every day.
Give your hamster enough chew toys
Your hamster also needs to have a few chew toys for his/her teeth.
All hamsters like to chew on things. There are many special chew toys in
pet stores, which have been designed specifically for hamsters. Hamster
toys are very important if you do not want your hamster to get bored.
Don’t bathe your hamster
Hamsters do not like water so never bathe your hamster. Hamsters
always keep themselves meticulously cleaned. If you believe your hamster
smell bad, then the smell is more than likely coming from the dirty
cage. Make sure you always keep the hamster’s cage clean.
Watch where you place the cage
It is important to place your hamster’s cage out of the direct
sunlight and draughts. Place it in a quiet part of your home where
you’ll visit your hamster frequently. Don’t put the cage in an unheated
room, garage, breezeway, or other cold places.
Your hamster needs to exercise
Hamsters are very quick and agile creatures and they need to
exercise, so make sure your hamster’s cage has plenty of room to
exercise. Hamsters need an exercise wheel to keep their muscles strong
and healthy. When your hamster is outside of the cage, you can put
him/her in a plastic hamster ball that you can buy in a local pet store.
A hamster is a fun animal to play with and it can really make
exciting pet. Do you like hamsters? Do you have any other tips for
taking care of a hamster? Share your thoughts, please!
