Pets and Halloween

Ghosts, goblins and creatures of the night will soon be prowling the streets.

Halloween will soon be upon us, small children will be dressed in out landish costumes and the world may turn scary for your dog or cat. Cats, generally have sense to hide when things get a bit much for them, but dogs on the other hand seem to want to stick around and defend the household from the strange intruders.

Halloween can be a dangerous time for our pets. As Halloween gets closer, and daylight savings time ends, the evenings are suddenly much darker and with that, sometimes “strange behaviors” occur.

What do I mean by that? Without trying to frighten anyone, I want to make you aware that even in the “best” of neighborhoods as it gets close to Halloween strange things happen, especially in regard to cats.

There are people that during this time of year, get some sort of a “kick” out of hurting small animals, mainly black cats and other cats. Maybe it is the spirit of witchcraft that fills the air. Whatever it is, it is best to keep kitty and other small pets in the house as it begins to get dark.

Dogs, too, face a stressful time, as children in strange costumes and false faces present a scary picture to a dog. Granted some dogs will just bark, but others might try to attack the “creature.”
So acting on the side of caution it is wise to keep your dog inside the house.

What other things should you consider as Halloween approaches? Halloween decorations with candles inside are pretty and cute, but tails on dogs and curious cats can mean serious problems like a fire or hot wax spilled on a pet. Cats can get serious burns and not realize it, until it is too late, as they like heat.

What would Halloween be without candy? Chocolate and pets is a no-no. Candy wrappers, especially the foil ones, can be ingested and cause your pet some serious problems.

Trick or treaters at the door, I love seeing the children all dressed up, but your cat or dog can make a quick escape out the door, while you are distracted handing out goodies. Again, on the side of caution keep your pet in a “safe room” while all this is going on. The dark of night is no time to go looking for a scared pet.

If you are planning on dressing up your pet for the occasion, first be certain it will not stress the pet out.

Secondly, if you want your pet to greet people at the door, do yourself a favor and the pet, too put your pet’s leach on and fasten it to your wrist. Why? Just to make certain when Halloween is all over, the two of you are still together.

An ounce of prevention is worth the effort it takes to ensure the safety of your pet and the others who come to your door.

Going Green

The phrase ” going green” is something that we hear frequently these days. It seems everywhere we turn we are bombarded with products and suggestions that promise to help our families live a more green lifestyle. Unfortunately, it is not always economically feasible for every family to make some of the more obvious large changes. However, there are many small simple changes everyone can make that will have a big impact on the environment over time. Read more

What Are The Benefits Of Organic Food?

There is much discussion today about the pros and cons of organic food. People want to know whether organic food is better than non-organic food. They wonder whether the term “organic” is nothing more than the latest money-making marketing term being thrown about. They question the regulatory oversight bodies that determine whether the food that’s labeled organic really meets all of the criteria. These are difficult questions to answer with certainty especially since the answers often depend on who is asked. Regardless, there are several very real benefits of consuming organic food. Here is an overview of the most common.

Organic Food Tastes Better

The people who eat organic food claim that organic food is more flavorful and studies have actually been conducted that confirm this belief. The chemicals that are used in the production of non-organic food definitely affect flavor.

Organic Food is Better for the Body

The United States Environmental Protection Agency now lists many of the chemicals used in the production of pesticides and fungicides as potential cancer-causing components. It makes sense then, that when non-organic foods are consumed, so too are these cancer-causing ingredients. Since these types of chemicals cannot be used to grow organic foods, they simply are not present and therefore, they cannot be ingested. Eating organic foods won’t unfortunately prevent cancer because there are plenty of genetic and environmental factors that can cause it to develop. However eating organic food greatly reduces the chance that certain cancers will develop.

In addition, organically-grown produce contains up to 50% more of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the body needs to stay healthy and perform at optimum capacity. If you’re trying to add more fruit and vegetables to your diet, you can double the benefits by eating organic ones.

You Can Feel Good about What You Eat

When you eat organic food, you know what you’re not getting. You know you’re not eating food that’s been genetically altered or shot up with growth hormones and antibodies. You know that the skins of your fruits and vegetables aren’t a thick covering of chemicals and other harmful ingredients. The bottom line: You know that you are fueling your body with healthy fuel. Centuries ago, people did not have as many health-related issues as they do in these more modern times. Plenty of people feel it is our food that is killing us.

You Help Protect Environment

When pesticides and fertilizers are applied to plants, there is no way to keep the chemicals used in their production from covering the ground. Rain and irrigation cause these chemicals to be absorbed into the ground. As they absorb into the ground, they percolate down to the underground water tables. Ultimately, the chemicals leach into nearby water bodies. The soil as well as the water begins to be contaminated. Over time the birds, fish and other animals living in these environments become affected. Since organic foods are grown without using these dangerous chemicals, their growth will never impact the environment in this manner.