Tag Archive for: safety tips

Cat Travel Safety Tips

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Cat Travel Safety Tips

We know our canine companions often love to go for car rides, but what our our feline friends? Yes! Cats can enjoy car rides too. When traveling with a cat there are a few things you need to keep in mind that are different than traveling with a dog. Here are 7 cat travel safety tips you need to know.

1. Do not let cats wander in the car.

A kitty on the dashboard, your lap, or loose in the car is a safety hazard to you and your pet. Your cat should be contained at all times in the vehicle. You can contain your cat in a hard carrier to help keep them as safe as possible.

2. Do not strap a hard carrier in with a seat belt.

During an impact the seat belt may cause the carrier to open which can result in your cat being ejected from the carrier. Do not strap a hard carrier in with a seat belt unless it is designed to be.

3. There is no safe way to seat belt a cat carrier in if it is not designed that way.

There are cat carriers on the market that are designed to be used with a seat belt. Do not not use a seat belt with the carrier if it is not designed to be used with one.

4. Place kitty behind the passenger seat on the floor.

Placing the carrier on the floor behind the passenger seat is a safer option instead of in the passenger seat or on the backseat.

5. Check if your cat carrier is crash test rated.

There are cat carriers on the market that have been crash tested and rated. A majority of crash tested carriers are designed to be used with seat belts. These seat belt approved carriers are the only ones you should be securing with a seat belt.

6. Do not use broken carriers.

Cat carriers can last many years if taken proper care of. If you notice your carrier is starting to crack, missing screws, or the lid doesn’t seem to fit quite right anymore you should purchase a new carrier as the structural integrity of the carrier has decreased.

7. Manage stress and distractions.

A vocal kitty can be a distraction and we want you to travel with your cat as safely as possible. If you know your cat gets anxious and vocal in the car, consider talking with your vet about a light sedative to help keep them calm to and from your destination.

Cat Travel Safety Tips

Have you gone on a road trip with kitty? Let us know your travel experience in the comments or @WetNosesPetSitting

Holiday Pet Dangers

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The holidays are a crazy time for us and an even crazier time for our pets!  At Wet Noses Pet Sitting we love your pets like our own. We want to be sure they are as safe as possible this holiday season.  Read up on our list of holiday pet dangers, be safe and enjoy your holiday season without any pet emergencies!pet dangers

 

Family and friends coming in the house

The holidays are a wonderful time to visits with our friends and family but this can cause stress for some pets.  If your pet does not do well with large groups of strangers, let your pets have a nice break in a quiet place with a healthy treat.  Even pets that love company can take advantage of the situation by running out an open door or stealing non-pet friendly foods from guests.  Make sure your guests know what is ok for Fido and let Fido take a nap when needed.

 

Tinsel and ornaments

As cute as it is to watch your kitten climb the Christmas tree, keep an eye out for ornaments that can be eaten or easily broken.  If you have a curious cat, forgo the tinsel for the year.  Cats love to chew on string-like items and due to the barbs on their tongues they cannot always spit them out, forcing them to swallow that shiny piece of trouble.  If you have a dog that likes to play with ornaments, put them a little higher on the tree.

 

Food items

We humans love our holiday treats and we want our pets to enjoy the holiday cheer as much as we do.  Be sure to give treats in moderation and avoid these dangerous yummy items:

  • Chocolate – Chocolate, especially baking chocolate is trouble for all pets.  Something to keep in mind is that all animals handle chocolate differently so if your pet gets some call your emergency clinic for advice.
  • Fat and bones – What dog does not dream about stealing the turkey off the counter?  Cooked bones are huge problems for pets as the bones can splinter and the fragments can puncture your pet’s insides.  Fat and grease can cause terrible digestion problems and in large quantities can require hospitalization.  If you would not eat it, neither should your pet.
  • Bread dough – Baking is wonderful but bread dough contains yeast with can expand in a pup’s stomach, causing all sorts of trouble.
  • Grapes and raisins – Raisins are often included in holiday baking and many pet owners do not know that grapes and raisins are just as toxic as chocolate.  Even though they seem healthy, get a good dog bone instead.

 

Holiday plants

We do love our beautiful holiday plants but be wary of leaving accessible to your pets.  Holly, mistletoe and poinsettias are particularly dangerous and tend to be front and center in our holiday decorations.  Even my cat, who never eats my plants (and we have many, many plants in our house) took a second look at the poinsettia I brought in.  Sometimes moving a plant or bringing in a new one can peak the interest of the most disinterested plant. So, when bringing home these favorites keep an eye on your pets and move the plants out of reach. Read about more plans that are poisonous to pets.

 

Garbage

What more do I need to say?  All sorts of bad things go in the trash and your dog is just waiting for you to get distracted and set down the trash bag.  Party time!  Make sure all trash is secured and make sure it makes it outside to the bin! Any cooked bones should be put right outside to eliminate any risk.

Candles

My cat is notorious for melting her whiskers on candles as soon as my back is turned.  Now that she is older, candles are only burned in locations where she cannot reach when we are in the room.  Keep in mind candles often smell like candy and cookies and can entice your pet to take a quick peek at the flame. This can easily turn into melted whiskers, a flame burn or even worse, a wax burn.

 

Wrapping paper and ribbons

Ribbons are favorites toys for cats as long as they do not swallow them.  If you are unsure if your dog will behave, keep the presents tucked away when unsupervised.  Make sure your kitty will not chew the ribbons off the packages!

Keep these holiday pet dangers in mind and enjoy your holiday season.  No one wants to take a trip the emergency clinic over the holiday season. If you have concerns about something your pet has gotten into, do not hesitate to call them or take a trip into the vet if needed.

 

We love the clinics listed below for 24/7 emergencies and we know you will too.

Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency Clinic – 816 South Lemay Avenue, near Lemay and Riverside in Fort Collins – (970) 484-8080
Four Seasons Veterinary Specialists – 4120 Clydesdale Pkwy, just south of Centerra – (970) 800-1106

 

Happy Holidays!

Halloween Safety Tips for Pets Header

Halloween Safety Tips for Pets

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Halloween Safety Tips for Pets Header

 

You can keep your pet safe this Halloween with our Halloween pet safety tips. It’s the time for ghouls, ghosts, and candy! But not everything is fun for your pets.
 

Make sure your pets have an ID tag

 
Pets can get lost during Halloween. Make sure your pets are wearing an ID tag or have a microchip in case they run off.
 

Create a clam place for your pets to relax

 
The constant ringing of the doorbell can be pretty stressful for both cats and dogs. Most of our pets are highly attuned to and affected by the sound of our doorbell ringing. They can often go bonkers at a single ring. Let alone a series of rings in a short amount of time. Set your pet up in a quiet back room with a radio or TV playing softly to drown out the noise. Noise generators like the ones found on mynoise.net can be soothing. This will help keep them safe and calm during the peak hours of trick or treating.
 
All pets should stay inside during Halloween, but Halloween can be an especially dangerous time for cats. Black cats, in particular, are targets for naughty neighborhood kids. They can be chased, shot at with BB guns, or otherwise messed with by kids looking to get into mischief. In our home, we make sure to lock our cats indoors from late afternoon until the next morning.
 

Be careful where you place lit candles

 
Lit candles add atmosphere but can turn into a hazard. A swinging tail or a startled cat can send a lit candle flying. You don’t want to be calling the fire department on Halloween.
 
Instead, consider battery operated candles. These pose less of a fire hazard and you won’t have to worry about them burning out during the party.
 

Keep chocolate and sweets out of reach

 
Most of us know that chocolate is toxic for dogs. But candy, in general, can cause a lot of gastrointestinal distress to our pets. Dogs don’t exactly seek out candy, they will pretty much eat anything that catches their noses. Cats can also get into candy but are less likely. That’s why it’s best to keep your Halloween candy stash out of your pet’s reach. Don’t forget to check out our post on Halloween Candy Safety for more details.
 
If you pet does get into large amounts of candy, seek veterinary care immediately.
 

Practice decoration and costume safety

 
Decorations can pose threats with wires, ribbons and open flames in pumpkins. Make sure to keep an eye on your pets around any tricky decorations that could harm them. Also, if you’re going to dress up your pet it’s good to be aware of costume dangers. This applies to pet costumes as well! If your pet doesn’t want to dress up, don’t dress them up.
Halloween Pet Safety Tips

Halloween is tons of fun for both children and adults, but it can be pretty confusing and a little scary for our pets. They don’t understand what it is all about. Think about what goes through the heads during Halloween. Why do their family members look so funny? What are all these crazy loud decorations that go “BOO!” and make creepy music when people walk by them? And why do all these strange people keep ringing the doorbell??? It’s no wonder that they need a little help staying safe during this spooky holiday. With these Halloween pet safety tips you and your pet will have a safe, fun time this Halloween.

How to Keep Your Pet Safe in the Heat

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August can be the hottest month of the year. To avoid heat stroke follow these tips and keep your pet safe during the dog days of summer.

Leave your dog at home if you’re running errands

Grabbing your keys can be an instant sign to your dog that it’s time for trip. It’s hard to say no to those pleading eyes, but for safety’s sake, leave them at home. Just a quick trip to the store can turn deadly for a dog left in the car.

As you can see, it does not take much for a car too hot. Even on cool days, it can quickly become dangerous. A simple delay in the store could be all it takes.

Limit exercise and outings on extremely hot days

You don’t have to be a hermit in the AC during the summer months, but it’s good to limit your dogs time outside. Some dogs can’t help but run and jump. When the temperature is rising, this could spell trouble and cause them to overheat. Taking care to limit the time they have in the sun will help stop overheating before it starts.

Avoid parks with a lot of asphalt

Enjoying a sunny day is great. When you take your dog out, avoid parks with tracks or lots of asphalt. Choose shady parks with dirt paths. The asphalt is hot and can easily burn their pads. You can also get some Dog Booties to protect their feet from hot roads and sand.

When you do go out bring plenty of water

Take a travel water bowl for your dog and plenty of water. To keep water cool on a hot day, fill up the bottle half way. Put the bottle on its side in the freezer. This will freeze the water on one side of the bottle, basically making a giant ice cube. Fill up the other side with water and you’ll have ice cold water for hours.

We are always here to help you if you need a pet sitter or dog walker during the day. Make sure to contact us! Your pets safety is our priority.