Halloween is a time to watch the pets extra carefully. Opening the door over and over to service those trick or treaters gives your pet ample opportunity to "break for freedom." Keep an extra good eye on them this evening.

And last but definitely not least, do not give your pet chocolate. This is especially dangerous for dogs, who tend to wolf down just about anything!

A cat does hunt. This, of course, is in its nature. But what happens when the native wildlife becomes endangered by too many wild kitties? Of course, this is a difficult problem. If only everyone would spay their cats, all could be solved. But I know this is a bit of a dream. There will always be irresponsible cat owners, who leave it up to the rest of us to take care of the animals they have dumped. In the meantime, I will continue to feed my feral cats, and hope that by doing so fewer wild birds will be caught.

Vomiting can also be a sign of worms. Some worms are more dangerous than others, so again a trip to the veterinarian is advised. Attempting treatment yourself is not a good idea without knowing exactly what kind of parasite your cat is infested with.

To most good cat owners, it is obvious that illnesses should be promptly treated. On the other hand, this sort of thing can get out of control, and  occasional vomiting can become more frequent without a cat’s human companion realizing. It pays to catch a cat illness early before it becomes something serious.

Despite their lovely form and triangular head, the Siamese cat is a loud-voiced feline, not at all demure. A dear friend of mine did have a snow shoe Siamese, which was a pretty, quiet little cat. When Donna passed away, it came to me to find her a new home, which was quite easy to do. I can’t imagine a Siamese cat being homeless for long.

But since Siamese rescue does exist, I suppose it must happen.

One of the most surprising things about these spiders is that they loved to eat (gag) liverwurst. I myself could never stand the stuff, and it gave me great pleasure to witness my pets chowing down on it. Another bug favorite were lightening bugs, or fireflies as they are often called. I would collect them in a jar at night (they are surprisingly easy to catch) and keep them overnight for a night light!

Ah, the days of youth! Being an animal lover had to start somewhere!

Have you noticed the fact that people who enjoy helping are often the nicest (not to mention happiest) people around? I don’t think this is an anomaly. I truly believe that if you are interested in helping others, be they human or animal, that you are a wonderful and worthy human being. Hats off to all the marvelous pet rescue folks in the world!

I am luckier than most; I have a cousin who loves my animals, and insists on staying at my house with them when I’m out of town! It doesn’t get much better than that. I have absolutely nothing to worry about; she even holds up the phone to them when I call and lets them hear my voice! Rather than upsetting them, it seem to give them comfort.

I know not everyone has this option, but if you can work out a way for your companions to remain at home when you can’t, I advise it strongly!

If you take care of your pet now, you will have much less trouble with his or her health later on. And of course for those of us who consider our pets part of the family, we tend to take care of our animals, no matter the cost involved. The economy might serve as a wake-up call to take better care of the health of your entire family.

They publish a magazine called Best Friends Magazine, and it is quite a publication! Very professional, and full of the best articles from animal lovers everywhere. And of course the latest updates on the goings-on at the sanctuary itself. I have never been there, but one of these days I shall make a pilgrimage to this wonderful home for the homeless animals. I may even be tempted to adopt one of the residents!