Thanksgiving isn’t typically a holiday that you think you need to worry about your pets, unlike say, Halloween or the Fourth of July. Though there isn’t much around to scare a pet (unless you have a lot of family ringing the doorbell!), there are hazards readily available that you might not even give a second thought to.

Last year I provided a bunch of tips that included info on feeding dogs bones and table scraps, which many people know about, to lesser known issues like hidden toothpicks and skewers that dogs can easily choke on.
Another thing that occurred to me last …read more

The Associated Press and Petside.com recently conducted a survey of 1,166 pet owners asking them how far they’d go to save their cat or dog’s life in the event of a pet emergency.

Among the questions asked and how they were answered, the results included:
~ 63% of dog owners and 53% of cat owners would be at least somewhat likely to perform CPR on their pet.
~ 65% of women vs. 50% of men say they’d be more likely to perform CPR.
~ 54% don’t have a fire evacuation plan.
~ 41% have had at least one incident requiring an emergency trip to the …read more

Trick or treat! Halloween’s just around the corner. Are you scrambling for costumes yet? Have you started decorating your yard? It’s fun preparing for an evening of Trick-or-Treating, but make sure your kids are plenty safe too!
Here are some tips on how to have a safe Trick-or-Treating time:
1. Check your kids’ candy before they consume any. Are they all safe to eat? Is there a brand of candy that has been recalled? Better to be on the safe side.
2. Pack a flashlight. Dark skies can make Halloween nights more interesting, but a skinned knee after tripping over a rock …read more

While we, as parents, take it for granted that we must make safety for our children a priority, we sometimes resent the changes to our homes when a parent comes to live with us.  Perhaps they’re ill, have arthritis, have failing eyesight, are developing Alzheimer’s as my mom did, or simply need the comfort of a family nearby.
However, some of the ways we live may have to be modified to accommodate an older family member.  Often these include some of the same safety guides we use for children. 

Ramps instead of stairs
Gates in front of stairs to prevent nighttime wandering
Lights that …read more

Halloween is a fun time for people: Parties, dressing up and, of course, candy! For pets, however, it can be pretty terrifying and even dangerous. Aside from costumes there are other things you need to keep in mind to keep your pet safe during Halloween festivities.

~ If you hand out candy for trick-or-treating, make sure you pets are secured in a location away from the front door. Even if a constantly ringing doorbell doesn’t bother your cat or dog, an open door can be pretty tempting to some and they may try and dart out.
~ Keep any and all …read more

Monkeysee has a great new set of videos on how to care for your newly adopted cat. Though a lot of the information is pretty basic — get a litter box, scooper, etc. — some of the ideas are surely things a new cat owner wouldn’t have thought of otherwise!
The video above, hosted by Dr. Kat Miller, a certified applied animal behaviorist at the ASPCA, gives an outline of the whole series, and describes the process and preparation as being similar to bringing home a new baby. She explains what should be done before, during and after bringing your new …read more

As we prepare for barbecues and fireworks this Fourth of July, The American Kennel Club has offered up some tips on how to keep your pets safe and calm during this noisy celebration.

Does your dog freak out at fireworks? Our Honey does, but Chip is usually fine after he figures out where the noise is coming from. We’ve several of the techniques below for Honey, including keeping her in her crate with a towel over it and keeping the television on so she’s got other, “regular” noise to distract her.
~ It’s safer to keep your pets at home during Forth …read more

With the holiday here, sometimes we forget about safety when we are having a ton of fun. Here’s a few quick things to think about before you head out for Easter.
If you plan on using real eggs:
-  Make sure they are well boiled and refrigerated before.
-  Never leave the found Easter eggs in a room for over a few hours. Once found eat them, use them or put them back in the refrigerator.
-  Toddlers should be watched if you allow them to eat an egg. A child can easily choke if they put the whole thing in the mouth or …read more

I read an interesting piece today on condom makers. Apparently, like many products today, they can be made cheaper in China.
USAID, United States Agency for International Development, a federally funded program that distributes 10 billion condoms to poor countries, in an attempt to help curb the spread of AIDS. They will no longer be distributing American-made condoms.
“Of course, we considered how many U.S. jobs would be affected by this move,” said a USAID official who spoke on the condition that he would not be named. But he said the reasons for the change included lower prices (2 cents versus …read more

We used to have deep philosophical conversations in my high school Peer Leadership class. Sometimes, the teacher, Mr. Vaniman, would give a group of us a question to ponder and discuss. One of my favorites was, “How far would you be willing to go for a loved one?” Which meant, would you be willing to break the law, go against your morals or even turn against everyone you know to stand up for someone you love? It seems like an easy question, but there are so many situations in life that could possibly occur that the answers vary from one …read more