Valentine’s Safety Tips for Pets
January 13, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Pets
Back in December, we explored some holiday safety tips for cats.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s time for a safety refresher cupid-style.
The ASPCA has a few reminders for you.
“… before you bring home that precious little one, remember that adopting a companion animal is a big decision,” says Gail Buchwald, Senior Vice President of the ASPCA’s Adoption Center.
Instead of taking home a new kitty, Gail suggests a Gift-A-Pet certificate to adopt from the ASPCA (in the Manhattan area). Or you may see if you local shelter has a similar program.
The bottom line: Don’t surprise your spouse or significant other with a new pet.
Dr. Steven Hansen, board-certified veterinary toxicologist and Senior Vice President of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), also has some advice. He warns that pets may be interested in tasting the new floral arrangement in your living room.
“Pet parents might notice symptoms of stomach upset, such as vomiting or diarrhea, if their pet has ingested a particularly offensive plant or flower. Most notably, cat owners should be extremely careful if they have lilies in the house, as these lovely flowers can be deadly,” says Dr. Hansen.
A tip from me: When I was working in an office, I simply left flowers there. It was much easier than keeping an eye on kitty and the flowers.
Dr Hansen also noted the symptoms of excessive chocolate consumption by pets: “vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination and thirst, abnormal heart rate and rhythm as well as hyperactivity and seizures.” So, please keep the chocolate out of reach to save a vet’s visit and possibly your pet’s life.
One ingredient you may not know is dangerous to pets: the sweetener xylitol, often found in gum and candy. The ASPCA warns that xylitol ingestion can produce “a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, and results in depression, loss of coordination, seizures and even liver failure.”
Can you think of other dangers to pets associated with Valentine’s Day?
Orange and white cat image via flickr. Maine coon kitten photo via stock.xchng. Source: ASPCA press release
Remember that picture you posted of your cat way up high on the top of your cabinets? My cat finally did that last week. I was so stunned. I don’t know what got into her. I think I could write a post each day about how moody and weird she is. Right now she is bending the blinds to look outside. She kept trying to walk across my computer to get to the window. After several attempts of me blocking her path, she finally figured out that she had to go around. She REFUSES to drink water from a bowl. Each time we wash our hands, we have to pull the drain stopper up and leave her some water. Then the water leaks out, so it is wasting some water. Her newest thing is to jump up on my daughter’s bunkbeds and stick her arms and head through the slats so that she can swat at us. She got me in the head a few times. lol
Karen,
It’s so sweet you remember that photo of Choco from Tree Hugging Family! : )
Your cat sounds a lot like mine. Choco will sleep under the head of the bed and if you dare disturb him he jumps up through the slats of the headboard and tries to play-attack your hand. Very funny stuff.
Oh, and the water bowl situation is similar here. We have a freeze warning tonight, so Choco’s in heaven going from sink to sink to sneak a drink.