Holiday Foods Your Cat or Dog Should Never Eat

Part II - Keeping your Pet Safe during the Holidays 

You spent some time considering how to keep potentially dangerous holiday decorations out of the reach of your cat and dog.  Now let’s talk about the main event of any holiday - the food!  November and December are prime feast days in American culture.  While you and your family can indulge in the foods you crave and love, dogs and cats can be seriously sickened if the ingest certain "people foods".

Yummy Delights as Tummy Troublers 

Thinking of putting that wrapped box of chocolate under the tree?  How about sweets in a stocking?  Holidays pamper to our taste buds with little boxes of love! Baked foods and chocolates add sweetness in relationships and to our moods as well!  But accept this bitter truth- you cannot afford to share this sweetness with your pampered pets. Consumption of these items has been found to be associated with seizure, heart arrhythmia, and gastrointestinal upset. It’s wise to be “cruel” and “indifferent” when you feel the urge in your pet’s eyes as you take a scoop of a chocolate soufflé.   You should also be practical when placing sweets under the tree or in stockings.  Just because it is wrapped doesn’t mean it is hidden.  Your cats and dogs can smell right through that pretty paper. 

Unfortunately, nature does not permit dogs or cats to enjoy the “human sweetness”.   Cats and dogs cannot consume these holiday goodies:

• Chocolate
• Raisens
• Grapes
• Currants
• Milk & dairy products (including ice cream)
• Yeast Dough
• Macadamia Nuts
• Artificial Sweeteners

Spicy meats may be your family’s favorite holiday hor dourves (think Buffalo wings and salamis) but they are simply not meant to be used snacks for the cat or dog.  These items can cause pancreatitis and certainly, an expensive trip to the Vet’s office.  Also, don’t feed your pets anything meats steeped in hot sauces, garlic or onions all of these foods are toxic. 

Last, but not least, keep the holiday cheer for you and your guests.  Cats and dogs should never be given alcohol – beer, champagne, wine or mixed drinks.   Giving a pet alcohol can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, breathing issues and even seizers. 

If your pet ingests any of these items, call your Veterinarian immediately. 

Holiday Decorations Could Be Harmful to your Pet

(this part I of our series about keep your Pets safe this holiday season)

Keeping Pets Safe during the Holiday Season

The holidays are here and your attention is probably on the perfects gifts, the feast to come, decorating and travel.   Sometimes the last thing on your mind is the family cat and dog.   While pets may bring joy to your playful holiday moments, they also serve as the reason why you should be super cautious when the holiday festivities are in full swing.  

Decorations as “Destroyers”

Bright and shiny decorations are perfect lures for your kids and pets alike. Sparkling holiday lights, fluffy bows, wrapped gifts, and in fact, the newness of celebrations is just enough to tickle the curious spirit of your pets.   
When decorating your home this holiday remember:

o   Cats tend to view tinsel, garland, and string-like objects as their toys and such perceptions can really prove to be hazardous for their health. Ingestion of these objects can case damage to the gastrointestinal tract and some serious cases may demand surgical intervention.  Glass decorations may fall and break and your pets may fall victim to the sharp surfaces.   

o   Lights that twinkle and bring ecstasy to your evening indoors may pose a threat to your pooch or frisky. The innumerable cords and the plugs may become your pets’ favorite chew items and incidences of shocks and burns may spoil your celebration.

o   Candles… big or small… white or colored, twisted or plain… Santas or fairies light up your moods with their natural warmth, but may be associated with a fire threat when knocked over. 

o   Dried flower parts or essential oils found in potpourri may act as a poison to your pets and this holds particularly true for cats. Your feline may get affected with fever, difficulty breathing, and tremor and may sustain chemical burns in the mouth.

o   Live Christmas trees add life to your festive moods, but they may not be friendly to your pets as well! Water at the base of Christmas trees may be contaminated with fertilizers or toxins and may pose a risk to the wellbeing of your pets.

o   Plants form an integral part of celebration as we feel a lively presence with rejuvenating aroma. Unfortunately, some of the holiday season plants are not pet-friendly.  Poinsettias, holly mistletoe, lilies, and ivy, can be  poisonous to both cats and dogs.   

Be mindful of these dangers when placing these items in your home.  Try "baby-proofing" techniques that keep unsafe items in areas where your pets cannot get to them or where holiday decorations can be tightly secured.   In the instance of plants, trees and flowers, try fake silks instead.  Not only are they safer for your furry companions, you can reuse them year after year. 

You can also use distraction as a means to keep your pet safe too.  Try keeping your pet's mind off all the new shiny, smelly holiday decorations by getting them a new toy or play thing.  Keeping their mind busy with a new toy or exhausted from play, will lesson the chance that they go looking for trouble elsewhere.  We recommend FroliCat toys, our innovative pet toys designed to engage your pet in fun exercise and enthusiastic play. 

Holiday Gifting for your Kitty!

With the holiday season right around the corner, it's not too early to be thinking about gifting!

I bet your cat (or dog!) might just love #9 on the Intense Experiences Top 50 Unique Gift List.

Win a DART!

Is your cat (or dog) itchin' to try the new DART automatic rotating laser light?

If so, you may have the chance to win one for your furry friend. Contest ends 10/6/10 before 5 pm ET. 

Visit AOL's Paw Nation for more details!

(http://www.pawnation.com/2010/09/30/win-a-frolicat-dart-laser-light-pet-toy)

Doggy Music Video

Take a peek as our other four-legged friends make a special appearance in OK Go's new music video 'White Knuckles'.

I promise this video won't disappoint (especially if you like dogs)!

Cool Pet Toys & Products!

(Photo from Petside.com)

It never hurts to be on the lookout for some cool pet toys & products that are bound to keep your pet happy throughout the year.

Check out some of these nifty new products by clicking here to view Petside.com's slide show. 

Included are FroliCat BOLT & the NEW FroliCat SWAY!

FroliCat BOLT on Fox & Friends!

If you love to spoil your pets then you have come to the right place.  Pet expert, Charlotte Reed, appeared on Fox & Friends yesterday morning to showcase some of the hottest & craziest pet products on the market.  Included was our very own FroliCat BOLT automatic laser toy!

Click here to watch the video clip and listen to what Charlotte has to say about BOLT!

How would your pet describe his or her BOLT laser toy? 

Share it with us on our Facebook page www.Facebook.com/ScoopFree

Just Plain Cute!

Unusual Delectables!

You Will Not Believe What Your Pet Eats

When I was a child, I spent summers outdoors.  My mother would shoo my brother and I outside with our dog, Lucky, into the hot and humid afternoons.  We 'spray painted' Lucky with shocking colors of hot pink, neon green, and neon yellow spray chalk.  We let her chase us around the yard, only to be beaten by her swift gait.  And we seemed to think she loved it when we fed her bugs that we dug up as we attempted to make a 'pond' in our backyard.  (Needless to say, the pond idea didn't come to fruition.) 

Pet Cancer Awareness Day

Click here to watch on Youtube

Visit your local PETCO store on Saturday May 8, 2010 for Pet Cancer Awareness Day. Learn how to detect early warning signs in your pet and help PETCO raise money for pet cancer research.

Mail Call!

Do you have any outgoing mail?  You might consider using these cat & dog stamps.  They help to support a great cause!

To learn more, click here!

To purchase these stamps click here or visit the http://www.usps.com/.

Pet Gifting: Good or Bad?

Watch video on Youtube

Animals are cute & cuddly & fun to have around, but what would happen if you received one as a gift?

Have you been given a pet as a gift?  What was your experience like?  Do you think pet gifting is good or bad?

Share your thoughts & stories with us here or on our Facebook fan page!
www.Facebook.com/ScoopFree

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all the pets & pet lovers out there!

Why do you love your pet?  Share your reasons with us on Facebook!

www.Facebook.com/ScoopFree

It's That Time Of Year Again...

Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

We want to know what you're getting your pet this year!

Share with us on Facebook.

www.Facebook.com/ScoopFree

Feeding Homeless Pets One Postcard At A Time!

In this busy & expensive world we all live in, fewer of us are finding the time & money to help animals in need.  It's sad, but all too true.  However, Nikki Moustaki, creater of The Pet Postcard Project, has found a creative way to feed & help homeless pets.  It takes no more than a picture of your favorite pet, some creative thinking, 44 cents, and a trip to your mailbox!

I was lucky enough to have the exclusive opportunity to interview Nikki.  Here's what she has to say about the project!

1. What is Pet Postcard Project?

The Pet Postcard Project (http://www.petpostcardproject.com/) is a creative way to raise food and funds for shelter animals. People create hand-made postcards featuring their pets’ photos, along with captions, and snail-mail them into the address on the site. Each card received earns one pound of food for shelter animals from a pet food sponsor. Companies that don’t make pet food can also sponsor cards by offering a monetary amount per card, usually a dollar or two. As of 2010, The Pet Postcard Project has raised over 26,000 lbs. of food and $18,000 for shelter animals – and counting! There are also really great monthly prizes on the site for people who send in the cards, including a Bolt toy and a Scoop Free Litter Box!

New Year's Resolution Update!

Click here to watch on YouTube

Let's check in with Dan to see how he's doing with his pet-related New Year's Resolution!

New Year's Resolutions

Click here to watch on Youtube

It's that time of year when we all make New Year's resolutions. Some popular resolutions are to lose those few extra pounds you gained over the holidays, to become more organized, or to achieve that one goal you've been holding out on.

Do your New Year's resolutions include your animals? Or, do your animals have resolutions of their own for 2010?

We'd love to hear about them! Post on the blog or to our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ScoopFree). Share your stories, pictures, & videos!

Remembering Your Pet

"Until one has loved an animal,

a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

-Anatole France.

Click here to watch on Youtube

Probably one of the toughest parts of pet ownership is the unavoidable fact that one day we must part with our beloved pet.  I look back with sorrow to the time I had to say goodbye to my childhood dog.  After fighting a long battle with lung cancer, we had to ease her pain.  When she was gone, I welled up with tears, cried audibly and couldn't comprehend the pit I felt in my stomach.  However, we all go through a bereavement period after such a loss.  Everything seems to remind you of your loved one-pictures, your pet's favorite toy, or even a familiar bark or meow.  At first it's sad, but after some healing, you see those objects and smile to think of the joy that your pet brought into your life.

There are so many different ways to memorialize your pet.  KATSHAT's Dan & Sarah discuss the sensitive subject of pet loss and review Pet Cremains in Glass, which are "portable tributes that can always be part of your life." 

View the latest episode of KATSHAT (above) to learn more or visit http://www.petcremainsinglass.com/.