Autumn is finally here and with it comes cooler weather, color-changing leaves, and our favorite: pumpkin spice lattes. The changing of the seasons is cause for much celebration, however it’s also a good time to evaluate your pet’s safety in the changing climate. So before you take a sip of that PSL, here’s a few pet safety tips to consider for Fall.

Keeping Warm Without Burning Your Pooch

Photo courtesy of Michel Filion

This is the time of year when fireplaces are crackling and space heaters are getting plugged in again.  Your pet will most likely get curious about the dancing flames and suddenly warmer-than-usual area.  Just be sure you keep an eye on your pet around heating devices at all times when they are in the same area.

Feed Your Pet More Food

Photo courtesy of Jörg Schubert

You may not be the only one eating more for Thanksgiving this year. Now that it’s much cooler, your pet will need to start generating more body heat than he did throughout the Summer. Not only that, but the cooler air may mean more energetic animals and more walks for your dog. The mix of a more active lifestyle and the need to create more body heat will mean that you may want to consider feeding your pet more food during this time of year.

Outdoor Dangers to Consider for Pet Safety

Photo courtesy of Aleksey Gnilenkov

Now that the sun isn’t scorching the hot asphalt and making the air hot and sticky, it’s more tempting to take your dog for impromtu walks. While this is good for your dog’s health, there are just some dangers you may want to consider for pet safety concerns. For one, snakes are preparing for hibernation and may be in a more aggressive mood. Secondly, October is a big hunting season, so be careful while out in the woods.

Trick-or-Treating

Photo courtesy of Petful

Halloween is right around the corner! While it’s fun to dress up you, your children, and your pets, it may be smart  in terms of pet safety to just take super cute pictures of your pet all dressed up and leave them at home while trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, Halloween is a time for both tricks and treats as pranksters may think it fun to scare you and your family which may frighten your pet and cause them to get loose and run away, among many other potential dangers. Don’t worry though, if you want people to see your adorable pet all dressed up as the Little Mermaid or Thor, post your pictures on our Facebook page and we’ll be sure to share them for our followers to see!

Watch Out for Pests – And Ways to Get Rid of Them

Photo courtesy of michieru

Ticks and fleas are coming back out and they are hungry little pests. Whenever your pet comes back in from playing outside, be sure to give them a thorough pat-down to make sure they haven’t contracted any ticks or fleas. Additionally, Autumn is the time for rats and mice, and with that comes the chemicals used to get rid of them. Check your property to be sure no chemicals are within reach and easy to get into. You won’t regret it!

So what’s the best way to consider pet safety? Do research for what to look for in the outdoors in your area. You may also want to consider some sort of containment for your pet whether you’re camping or just sitting on your patio enjoying the cooler weather. Whatever you’re doing, you don’t have to worry about your pet outdoors as long as they are safe inside of one of our Pet Gazebos. That way you can enjoy that pumpkin spice latte without thinking, “Oh, what did he get into THIS time?”