I would like to wish everyone a joyful start to the Holiday Season! What
a year it has been! This is my annual safe-holiday message for you and
your pets! Please remember, the holiday season is a fun time, yet can be
very stressful on your animals.
1. Make sure if you use tinsel or garland, to keep it out of reach of
your animals. Tinsel and garland are fun to chew on and taste, but can
easily cause blockage.
2. Make sure if you use a real tree, that you cover the water as the
tree has been inundated with chemicals, which come out in the water.
Also, the water additives they give you to keep your tree fresh can be
deadly to small animals. And very toxic for all!
3. With your fresh tree, wreaths, or even shedding fake ones like my
tree, make sure you vacuum daily under it so as to remove the needles.
These needles are easy ingested, but can not be digested. The sharp
needles can cause internal bleeding!
4. Poinsettias, although there has been much discussion that they MIGHT
NOT be poisonous, why take the chance? Keep thee gorgeous plants, as
well as mistletoe and holly, out of reach of all animals, cats included!
5. Lights are beautiful, but can cause major stress to animals! Make
sure there are no loose or missing bulbs that could cause a shock! Fish,
as well as birds and reptiles, are easily stressed by blinking lights.
This can cause strokes, which in turn, can lead to death or permanent
brain damage. Lights are also attractive and shiny! Our tree is in a
room where only the cats go. It is still denuded daily of ornaments, but
the lights are strung so they cannot be pulled off! If you use lights on
walls, secure the cord so they cannot be pulled down! Otherwise, your
small animals might cause a fire!
6. Candles are a favorite holiday tradition. However, make sure that
you do not use ones with metal wicks at all, and keep all candles that
have a scent away from animals. Birds, reptiles, and fish are all
susceptible to toxic fumes at a much lower ration than humans are. Think
of the canary in the caves...
7. Parties and houseguests are very common around this time of year!
Leave your animals up during parties, as the noise and confusion may
cause your pet to stress and/or attack. Also, inform your guests not to
give any treats tot he animals. A kindly offered treat could be deadly
to certain species! If there are children present, you may want to
inform both them and their parents about the diseases that can be spread
by touching reptiles or small animals. Make sure they know to wash their
hands! With small children, secure the cages well (I tape down fish
tanks and lock the ferrets and reptiles up)! Those inquiring little
hands have been known to let animals out when the party is in full swing,
or add a gift to the fish tanks! Nothing spoils a party like 11 ferrets
running amok on the food table, a giant lizards wandering through the
bar, or a bird madly trying to escape the tree!
8. Use common sense when wrapping or unwrapping presents! Count your
animals before and after each event :)
9. Animals are often given as gifts around this time of year. I am
guilty of it! I gave may dad a puppy, Larry Bonnie and Clyde (the 2
original ferrets), and my grandmother a puppy. However, all of these
gifts were discussed in advance. All parties involved were ready to take
on the responsibilities of the new pets. In fact, they didn't get them
at Christmas, but before. Christmas Day is too busy and stressful to try
to introduce a new animal. DO NOT give animals to other people unless
all parties involved are aware of what is going on. DO NOT give an
exotic animal to anyone who does not have the research done and the funds
necessary to provide the animal with the proper care. YUP! This leaves
out giving gifts of animals to children. Children should not be given
animals, unless the parents are fully aware that they (he parents) will
end up being responsible for the vet care, the enclosure cost, and the
day to day care of the animal. Children may own the animal, but parents
are responsible to make sure the animal is cared for. A child who
forgets to feed and care the animal may be forgiven, but the parent who
forgets to check and make sure the animal is fed and cared for on a daily
basis is irresponsible. By making sure the animal is cared for on a
daily basis, the parent teaches responsibility. If the parent forgets,
so will the child. The best way to give an animal as a gift is to give
it to yourself. Nobody but you will get into trouble!
10. Want to give yourself the best present in the world? Adopt a
shelter animal. Right now, shelters are maxed out because of the summer
pets that were no longer cute and cuddly once winter came around. After
Christmas, all those pets that were given as presents--well, many of
them end up at the shelter. If they are lucky, they will be turned in
to a no-kill shelter. If not.... If you want to give yourself a present,
adopt a shelter pet, or if you are at your pet limit..DONATE time, money,
or both to a local shelter. Trust me, everyone will feel good about
this!
Want to adopt an exotic? Need help to place one? Go here:
http://www.scalesandtails.org
[Posted in FML issue 3980]
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