I always left a big metal bowl of water outside for my dogs and cats, until a friend warned me not to. I never thought about it, but the warning made me understand what I bet a lot of people don’t think about. In relatively cold temperatures a metal pet food/water bowl can freeze a cat’s or dog’s tongue to it. The bowls aren’t safe on warm days either – the metal can burn and the water warms up quicker making it undesirable for a cat or dog to want to drink from it.
HAVE A PURRRRR-FECT HALLOWEEN
Halloween is such an great holiday! However, it can be more than scary to our little furry friends. Practice some safety tips to keep your pets out of danger from witches and goblins.
TIPS:
1. Keep all pets indoors on Halloween if at all possible. There have been many animal cruelty cases that have taken place on Halloween.Pets will freak out from all of the kids in costumes coming at them.
2. Do not feed them candy. As most of you know, chocolate is fatal to dogs, so no matter what, do not give your dog chocolate or any candy for that matter. Be sure to keep your children’s candy off of the floor and throw away any foils or wrappers. Animals could eat them and cause them to have serious digestive distress leading to high veterinary bills.
3. Be aware of how your animal reacts when dressing them up in costumes, remember it’s not normal for them to be wearing costumes so it may cause them to be highly agitated.
4. Keep lit pumpkins out of their tail swishing area, and away from curious kitties. This is a huge fire accident waiting to happen!
5. It might be an old wives tale, but if you have a black cat, keep it inside. Mean people have used this holiday to torture black cats and even kill them.
6. Why not pick up some treats for the animals as well as for the trick-or-treaters, that way they won’t be tempted to eat the candy!
Planning For Trick-or-Treating
1 Choose costumes for your child that fit properly. Kids can easily trip and injure themselves if the costume drags on the ground.
2 Make sure all costumes are made of fire-retardant material.
3 Apply makeup instead of having the child wear a mask. If she insists on wearing a mask, make sure there are sufficient air holes around the nose/mouth and large openings for the eyes.
4 Look for a costume with reflective pieces on them, especially on the back. You can also apply reflective tape to the costume yourself.
5 Arm your child with a flashlight and cell phone, so she can easily be spotted and reached.
6 Plan ahead and discuss with your child which routes you will take and where to meet if you get separated.
While You Are Trick-or-Treating
1 Make sure children, generally under 12 years old, are accompanied by an adult at all times.
2 Remind kids of importance of walking instead of running. Don’t allow kids to cut through yards or alleyways.
3 Teach children to only go to houses with a porch light shining and to never enter a stranger’s house under any circumstance.
4 Make certain kids know to walk on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic when sidewalks are not available.
5 Check all candy for possible tampering when you return home. Check for open wrappers and seals broken and discard these!
!!!!!HAPPY SAFE HALLOWEEN!!!!!
On any given day students board school buses to travel to schools. Statistically, school buses are the safest way for students to travel to school — even safer than riding in the family car.
Many students walk to school or to bus stops.
In either case, parents can help to make the trip to school as safe and easy as possible for their children just by discussing a few basic rules:
Walking or riding a bike to school or to a school bus stop:
– Parents should show their children the safe walk path to use and encourage them to fol
low that path.
– Obey all traffic signals, signs, and/or crossing guards. Use crosswalks where available. H Walk bikes through intersections
ffl Walk with a buddy, if possible, and be aware of the surroundings.
– Never talk to or respond to strangers. If a stranger approaches or tries to get a child to come to him/her, the child should run home, to a neighbor’s house, or another safe place such as a business, and ask an adult for help.
– Reflective material makes walkers and bicyclists more visible to street traffic. B Always wear a helmet when riding a bike (grownups too).
At the bus stop:
– Know your school bus number.
– Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Running to catch the bus is dangerous and can lead to injuries.
– While waiting for the bus, stand at least five giant steps (10 feet) away from the curb and line up away from the street.
– Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says it is OK to board before getting onto the bus.
– Students crossing the street in front of the bus should walk on the sidewalk or along the road to a point at least 10 giant steps ahead of the bus before crossing. (Better yet, cross at an intersection and use the crosswalk if one is available.) Be sure that the bus driver can see you and that you can see the driver when crossing the street, and watch for traffic coming both ways.
– When you are dropped off at school or at the bus stop, walk 10 giant steps away from the bus. If you need to cross the street, wait until the driver tells you its okay and cross in front of the bus. NEVER walk behind a bus.
– Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
– If you drop something near or under the bus, tell the bus driver. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PICK IT UP because the driver may not be able to see you.
– School buses are loaded or unloaded at established school bus stops only, unless an emergency dictates otherwise.
Your Home, Alone?
Don’t let crooks steal your holiday cheer.
Plan to travel this winter? Make sure you’re not an easy mark for thieves. To deter break-ins:
• Ask a neighbor you trust to check on your home while you’re away.
• Stop newspaper and mail deliveries.
• Lock all windows and doors, including those in your garage and basement.
• Ask someone to shovel snow, if needed, during your absence.
• Use timers on exterior and interior lights and radios to make your house appear occupied.
• Put away tools and ladders — no need to help the bad guys break in.
• Advise your security company of your plans.
• Don’t “tweet” that you’re traveling.
Country & Victorian Times 