Halloween Pet Safety Tips from Iams #PGmom

Hannah adores a Halloween picture book simply titled "Spooky". I know she adores it because she kisses it. OK, full disclosure, she only kisses the "cat" photo - one that could pass as our cat Booyah when he was a kitten. 

Booyah is a black cat. You might think Halloween is his night - after all, millions of Halloween decorations showcase his likeness. With a reputation for bad luck, he and fellow black cats have become one of the many symbols for Halloween. (I would like to say here and now that I don't agree with said reputation.)

Regardless of black cat Halloween popularity, after holidays that involve fireworks, I can safely say October 31st is one of Booyah's least favourite nights. All the noise and all the people = no fun for Booyah.

Here are some helpful pet tips from Iams to keep your pets of every fur colour safe this Halloween:

#IAMSSoGood Canada's first ever concert for dogs! (#PGmom Giveaway)

Full disclosure: I am a cat person. I have always owned cats and will always own cats.

Booyah (or Boo Bear as I fondly refer to him), is a cat with a dog's love. And by this I mean, he greets me at the front door. He follows me around in the morning until he gets some attention. Even as I type this, he is sitting on the couch with me, glancing at me as to ask, "Are we ever going to bed?"

But what makes Booyah a house cat is that he hates is afraid to leave the house. Therefore, he won't be making the trek to Echo Beach on Saturday, June 8th. But dogs and their owners should.

Why Toddlers and Pet Food Shouldn't Mix

Hannah's latest obsession is our cat Booyah. When he's not visible, she forces him into an involuntary game of hide and seek. She crawls up to him to give him pats, she tries to follow him into his litter box and of course, she has become interested in his food too.

We live in 745 square feet of fun. This means (now that she's mobile) Hannah pretty much has access to everything Booyah does.

I believe that supervision is the number one way for kids of all ages to stay safe. When Hannah reached her tiny hand into Booyah's food dish I was right there to quickly move her away, resulting in the worst temper tantrum she's had yet. And then I wondered, how bad would it be if she did consume some of his food?

Iams Home 4 the Holidays

I often say I like animals way better than I like most people. I've been lucky enough to adopt some pretty amazing animals so far in my life, full of personality and love.

Skittles even posed with me for self-photos. What a gal!

It's not easy going to a shelter knowing you can only save one or two animals. The last time I went I was 13. The Toronto Humane Society had a bunch of cats, and I really couldn't decide on one. Thankfully my Mom found Skittles (not her name before we adopted her). Skittles had just given birth to yet another litter, and her owner decided to keep a kitten instead of Skittles. She was two years old at the time, and the Humane Society would only let us have her if we agreed to spay her (which we did). My Mom thought it would be a good idea to adopt an older cat, since many people want kittens. I'm so glad we did.

Skittles was a part of my life for the next 14 years. She was often my "shoulder" to cry on when some stupid boy I liked did something moronic. She hung out with me while I was studying, watching TV and even listening to the Backstreet Boys. As I got older, she was also the sense of reason. Some nights if I stayed too long at the bar, she had this stern look when I finally came home AND would sit on my phone to make it more difficult for me to drunk text. She still cuddled me the whole next day while I was nursing a hangover. She really was such an amazing cat, not to mention a beauty. I may have given Skittles shelter and food, but she gave me so much more in return.

Chris adopted Booyah way before we started dating, and when we moved in together I may or may not have been more excited about living with Boo than I was with Chris...

Booyah with a toy banana.

As you probably have guessed, I am a total cat person. I have nothing against dogs, I just prefer cats. Booyah is a nice hybrid. He meets us meowing at the door, wants attention for a certain amount of time, and then goes about his business. While we were in Hawaii my brother took care of Boo. He couldn't believe how much Boo meows, and how much attention he wants before he'll leave you alone. Booyah definitely makes you feel needed.

So why write a post now about adopting a pet? Because I wanted to tell you about Iams Home 4 the Holidays. I'm sure you've heard about it before, but did you know you can participate without adopting (although that is an option)?

Canadians can participate in the program in more ways than one, including:

• Donating through Bags 4 Bowls – For those who are already pet parents, Iams will donate one bowl of food to a participating Iams Home 4 the Holidays animal organization for every specially marked package of Iams pet food purchased during the campaign.
• Adopting from a local shelter – Every day more and more animals end up in shelters or in rescue care, and more than 25 per cent are pure breeds*. This is important to keep in mind when deciding to bring a pet into your life, the animal you’re looking for is probably in your neighbourhood shelter. To find a participating animal shelter or rescue organization near you, visit iams.ca or facebook.com/iams. 
• Volunteering – Shelters need volunteers to do everything from feeding, caring for and keeping rescue animals company, to assisting at events and fundraisers. If you can’t adopt but would still love to help do so as a volunteer.
• Visiting the Iams Facebook page – Visit the Iams Facebook page and click to “Like” the page or various messages, photos, videos, etc. For each “Like” comment Iams will donate meals to participating animal shelters.   

Last year alone, 1.2 million pets were adopted during the holiday campaign and an estimated 5 million meals were donated to pets in need. In Canada, more than 75,000 animals found forever homes during the campaign.

When Hannah is a little older and ready for a pet, Chris and I will gladly take her to a shelter to find her new best friend. And maybe we'll bring my Mom, just to ensure only one comes home with us (I'm sure Booyah will appreciate that).

If you have a pet, did you adopt them?

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events. The opinions on this blog are my own. 

© 2012 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.