Keeping Your Pet Safe This Halloween

Though fun and exciting for human animals, as responsible pet owners we need to pay close attention to animal safety during Halloween!

Ding-Dong!
Your dog or cat may be oblivious to ghosts and goblins running around the neighborhood, or may choose to hide in a closet or under the bed until the evening is over. On the other hand, some dogs and cats may be so overwhelmed that they run out the door, or even exhibit aggressive behavior that frightens or hurts a child.  If Halloween may be overwhelming to your animal, consider a safe, secure area like an enclosed, quiet room or even overnight boarding.  Consult your vet if you anticipate panicky, aggressive, or otherwise unpleasant behavior (destroying household belongings, urinating or defecating indoors, etc.).  In some cases, your vet may even recommend a mild sedative for your furry family member.

Black Cats
Unfortunately, animal cruelty risks increase on Halloween, particularly for black cats.  Even in the nicest, safest of neighborhoods, it is strongly advised that cats be kept indoors.  If your cat spends a lot of time outside, on the morning of Halloween bring the cat in for breakfast and keep indoors until the following morning.  By providing catnip toys or other extra entertainment or treats, you may keep kitty’s mind off of his or her temporary restrictions.

Treats
If left within reach, dogs and even some cats may eat Halloween candy, wrappers and all! Chocolate can be toxic to animals due to theobromine (a chemical present in chocolate, cocoa beans, cocoa bean hulls, cola and tea)  which acts as a cardiac stimulant and diuretic.  Humans can metabolize theobromine effectively, but dogs, cats, and other household pets cannot.  Pets that eat chocolate may appear okay at first, but within hours may develop signs of toxicity, including hyperactivity, vomiting, or overreacting to lights, noises, or touch.  Even if the candy wasn’t chocolate, it’s still possible that other complications may occur such as severe (and potentially very messy) indigestion or even an intestinal blockage.   Keep any and all candy (including junior’s Trick or Treat bucket) out of reach.  But accidents happen, so if you know that your pet has consumed candy, immediately call your vet.  While the “wait and watch” approach may be best, your vet may determine that immediate treatment is necessary.

Costumes and Decorations
Maybe your animal loves to participate in holiday functions.  Great!  If you decide to decorate your home or dress your pet in a costume, take the same precautions you would with a young child.  Keep breakable items, open flames, or items that resemble chew toys (like plastic or resin skeletons) well out of reach.  If your pet is dressing for the occasion, consider a costume that is light colored or reflective for safe trick or treating.  Avoid complicated, overly constricting costumes, or those with strings or small bits and pieces that   might be swallowed.  If you are not confident in your costume design abilities, most pet stores sell costumes in a variety of sizes to accommodate all different breeds and builds.  And if costumes cause your animal to become upset, stop. Some dogs will tolerate costumes pretty well.  Cats…not so much!  So if you dare to costume your cat, you may want to sleep with one eye open!

Being realistic about your pet’s temperament and taking a few simple safety precautions can ensure that everyone has a Happy Halloween!

submitted by:Janet M. Barber & Carolyn Morrill, DVM, Diplomate ABVP

Get The Kids Involved In Making Some Yummy Kittie Treats!

• 3/4 cup white flour
  
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  
• 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
  

Boomer's Update and a Special Thank You

Everyone's favorite dog is just awaiting word from Denver when they are ready for us to return for the surgery. We are almost there in our fundraising efforts with just $400 yet to go.

Furry Kids wants to give a special thank you to all of you out there who have donated on his behalf! When Boomer attends the adoption events at Petco each weekend, so many wonderful people donate to help our fundraising efforts. So many other wonderful people have sent donations directly to Furry Kids just for him. Without all these generous donations, we would not be able to give Boomer what he needs. We are so grateful for the kindness of all his followers and can't wait for the day he is able to walk on a new leg - and the day he is able, as a certified Therapy Dog, to visit hospitals, veterans homes, nursing homes and schools to brighten the lives of so many people.

As many of you have seen, Butch has been our featured dog for several months now. Guess what, Butch got adopted on October 6th but unfortunately due to circumstances beyond his adopter's control, he came back to us. His adopted vouches for him that he is really a great dog - followed her around like a shadow, is housetrained and wonderful with all people and other dogs, too. Butch is back with his foster mom awaiting adoption again, hopefully this time forever. He's about 4 years young and weighs in around 70 pounds so he's a big boy with a whole 'lotta love to give. Butch LOVES to go for car rides so you'd have the perfect companion to go to the dog parks with! Won't you please consider giving this great dog and equally great home? If you're interested, just fill out the application from our website and one of our dedicated volunteers will be in touch with you as soon as possible!

Meet Clapton in person at one of our adoption events at the Petco in Lee's Summit each Saturday.
This absolutely gorgeous 9 month old guy has come a long way since we first rescued him from a high kill shelter. He was especially fortunate to get another chance at life because Clapton and his momma, Layla were trapped and brought in to the shelter. Clapton and his momma were on the way to be euthanized when a caring shelter volunteer stopped the shelter employee and tried desperately to give this pair of loving kitties a chance to get a home.
Clapton and his mamma Layla, huddled together in the lonely cage and just by looking at them, you knew they deserved love, and a chance for wonderful person to adopt them. Won't you please consider Clapton as a new member to your family? If you would like to adopt Clapton or need more information, please call his foster mom or dad, Deanna or Perry at 816-796-2710 or email deanna3344@yahoo.com.

Call us or come by an adoption event and we would be happy to microchip your pet with a 24PetWatch™ microchip for just $20. 

Registration and Maintenance is free and easy from the internet or by phone! Read more reasons why you should microchip your pets...

Furry Kids Volunteers worked well into the night on Friday, October 5th to help organize and price items for the Rummage Sale. There were so many great donations so we had nice items to sell! We ordered pizza and had a great time and were back at it early Saturday morning!

Thanks to all the shoppers, over Saturday and Sunday we were able to raise about $1200!

Please visit our website and send us your story and pictures if you can and we’ll post them on our Happy Furry Kids Page!

Thank you to all who have sent their stories – it is so heartwarming to see our Furry Kids in their forever homes!

INTERESTED IN ADDING A FURRY KID TO YOUR FAMILY?

FURRY KIDS WISH LIST

Can't adopt but would still like to help? Here is a list of items we are always in need of...

• Quality Dog & Cat Food
• Scoopable Cat Litter
• New or recycled collars and leashes
• Dog and Cat Toys
• Metal Food Bowls
• Blankets and Towels
• Crates and Dog Houses
• Kennels/Dog Runs
• Cleaning supplies:bleach, laundry soap
• Tax Deductible Monetary Donations
• Volunteers & Foster Homes

Make A Donation Today!

What if Furry Kids earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Well, now we can! GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it's powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.Just go to goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Furry Kids Refuge as the charity you want to support.

Just 500 of us searching four times a day will raise about $7300 in a year without anyone spending a dime! Please sign up, use GoodSearch as your search engine of choice and, be sure to spread the word!