Camden County Animal Shelter - Blackwood, NJ :: Resources

Cammy Presents: "Thoughts on the Holidays"

Hi there! Cammy here!

It’s that time of year again when you all are thinking about the perfect gift for that special someone. We may just have your perfect gift right here at CCAS.

We are severely overcrowded at the shelter right now so if your thoughts are headed toward a special furry gift, we’ve got the right one for you. I am walking through the kennel right now as I write this and looking at all of the lonesome furries that would give anything (especially all their love) to have a warm, loving home. Believe me, whatever furry you might want – I think we probably have it. We have all sizes, shapes, colors and breeds of both dogs and cats that seriously need homes for the holiday or any day for that matter.

You might want to bring your special someone in on an afternoon and let them pick out their own furry. And CCAS will help you before, during and after you take your wonderful companion home. We provide you or your friend with a packet with lots of information for the adjustment period when the furry first goes home. The act of adopting a shelter animal from CCAS is just the beginning of the partnership with CCAS – they will help the whole family through the transition. Don’t be shy – ask us for HELP! It certainly is here for you and your delighted furry!

Always remember there is a responsibility with an adoption – you must put forth the time and effort necessary to have a pet. One of the reasons we have so many pets on the street (which ultimately end up here) is because people adopt pets and then decide they don’t want them because they are too much trouble or they don’t have time or the pet doesn’t train itself or a whole bunch of other reasons. Believe me, I’ve heard them all. Would we do this to our children?? Ever heard of returning a child because they cry too much? Or, they use too many diapers? Or, they run around too much? Or, talk too much? I know it sounds ridiculous; however, what’s the difference – is what I say! So make sure this is what you or your friend really want before you make that decision. If your answer is “YES” – then we have your new pet right here at CCAS just waiting for you.

Now, to move on to some really serious stuff about the holidays. Always remember – turkey, chicken and other small bones are different from the large bones that you can feed to your furry friend. The smaller bones splinter and can cause serious internal damage if they are swallowed. Please DO NOT give your furry companion any of these small bones during the holiday. I know the turkey is good but only meat, please!

Now I know that pup or kitten probably likes to hang around when you’re cooking (believe me, if I had a home, I’d be right under the “cooking feet.”). I think it’s because of the smell – we really like that a lot. But, watch out for us with those really hot containers because they might tip over or we might just tip them over and then we will be burned really badly. Actually, thinking about it, candles are really a scary thing too, especially for those kitties out there – you know how they just love to rub against things! Maybe put them up where they can’t get to them and then there’s that crazy pup that gets so excited when the company arrives – potential knock-over. And oh, that really neat festive looking tree you put up. It really attracts us so I would strongly suggest you don’t trim that tree on the bottom where we, well not me, because I'm older, but those puppies especially, can get a hold of those things I’ve heard people call ornaments and eat them, chew them, even swallow them and get sick and I've heard in some cases, even die. To keep your companion alive and well enough to enjoy the holiday, please be careful when trimming the tree and the house. You know how some of us just love getting into things we’re not supposed to have and the thing about it is – we don’t know that.

Thinking About it Further...

Being a dog, I have realized that there are so many things out there that can harm my friends - be they other dogs or cats - and I. I would like to share just some of these scary items with you that could potentially cause us serious illness or death.

In the Home:

While in the season, Poinsettias are especially harmful, as the greenhouses that grow them to perfection for the holiday season used to use highly toxic pesticides to control whitefly and other highly destructive pests. Although newer methods and tighter controls have reduced the problem to the point they are not deadly, but it's better to err on the side of caution. Other, more commonly found items that present a threat include mothballs, paint thinners and other solvents, fly bait, detergents, tobacco products, lime/scale remover, lead, lighter fluid, bleach, diet pills, rat and mouse bates, antidepressants, acetaminophen, cold and flu meds, vitamins, flea and tick products, liquid potpourri detergents, and oven cleaners. Please be careful to keep these items away from us!

Outside:

Aloe, Asian Lily, Asparagus, Corn plant, Cycads, Cyclamen, Daffodil, Daylily, Devils ivy, Dieffenbachia, Easter Lily, Elephant ears, English Ivy, Eucalyptus, Ferns, Foxglove, Tulip, Yucca, Lily of the Valley, all Lilium species, Iris, Jimson Weed, Gladiolas, Heavenly bamboo, Honeysuckle, Peace Lily, Oleander, Mountain Laurel, Narcissus, Schefflera, Rhododendron, Wisteria, Morning Glory, and Lantana are just some of the plants that can potentially harm us. If you have any of these in your house, you might want to put them up high where we can’t get into them and if they are in your yard, you might consider putting them where we cannot chew or eat them because, even though I hate to admit it – we just don’t know the difference. I guess that’s just the “animal” in us.

Foods:

Now, let’s move on to foods that are harmful to us and I’ll bet you will be surprised by some of them: avocados, chocolate (and there will be lots of that during this holiday season), coffee, garlic, grapes, raisins, Macadamia nuts, moldy or spoiled food, salt, fatty foods, Xylitol (gum, candies or other foods sweetened with this), tea leaves, raw yeast dough. Moving on to alcoholic beverages – Now I know that some people think it is very funny and cute to feed a dog beer and watch them get dizzy but the potential harm is really not worth the amusement they might get out of this trick. Dogs don’t need to drink!

Other Household Items:

And then there are objects that can cause puncture wounds, choke us or cause internal organ damage: batteries, twist ties, buttons, coins, glass, hair pins, jewelry, wax, nylons, paper clips, socks, rubber bands, plastic wrap, all sharp objects like razors, scissors, nails, etc), string, dental floss, cotton swabs. If you think about it, you can imagine what these objects can do to us and I’ll bet you can even come up with some of your own if you really think about it. And I think children need to learn safety for their furry friends – what to feed and what not to feed. That way we can all be safe, happy and live a long life together.

Happy Holidays and Safety to All!