For many people, Halloween is a favorite time of year – costumes, candy, parties, etc. However, you need to put as much thought into your pet’s needs as you do your Halloween costume. Here are some common-sense cautions that’ll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year.

No treats for your pet. That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for your pet.  Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart rate—and even seizures. Candies containing artificial sweeteners can be poisonous to dogs – even small amounts can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of your pets’ reach. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive an electrical shock.

Be careful if you choose to illuminate your pumpkin with a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

Costumes can be very stressful for pets. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume does not constrict the animal’s movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on, and that the costume fits well and will not get twisted on external objects or your pet.

Most pets are better off in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn’t dart outside. The excitement of Halloween can be stressful for your four-legged friends and they could become lost or confused once outside.

Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

The economic downturn has affected not only American workers, but also their pets – many people have been forced to find new homes for their pets, or even abandon them, because they simply could no longer afford to care for them. There are several things that you can do to help these animals that won’t much money.

Point and Click. One of the easiest things you can do to help involves a few mouse clicks and a couple of minutes. Websites such as animalrescuesite.com raise funds via advertisers, and you can click a button daily to generate a donation to help feed shelter animals. The search engine dogreatgood also donates to charity for each search. Companies such as rachaelray.com and tomsofmaine.com offer opportunities to vote for various organizations to win grant money.

Clean up your act. Are you planning to clean out your closets or linen closets? Set aside your old sheets, towels, blankets, and other items that can be used by shelters as bedding, and drop them off. Many shelters also accept newspaper. While you’re eliminating clutter at home, you’re also helping pets in need.

Give the gift of time. Shelters welcome volunteers to help clean, groom, walk, and socialize dogs, make phone calls, stuff envelopes or any number of other tasks. Even a few hours a week will help.

Do some extra shopping. The next time you’re buying pet food or supplies, why not buy an extra bag of dog food or an extra container of car treats. Many shelters are running low on supplies, and always welcome donations.

You’ve seen it before, Kitty is normally a happy cat – purring, attentive, and loving. So why do the hackles rise on her back whenever Junior enters the room? Pets don’t always get along with every member of the family, and kids on the receiving end of a swatting paw or angry growl can feel bad about their relationship with their animal.

There are steps you can take to help your kids improve their relationship with your four-legged friends:

Take care of the pet’s basic needs. Allow your child to help you feed, water, groom, bathe, and exercise your pets.

Teach your child appropriate ways to play with your pet. Some animals are more rough-and-tumble and don’t mind aggressive handling, while other animals are more timid. What kids think is funny could be upsetting to animals – for example, poking the dog while he’s eating or bonking a sleeping cat on the head with a toy can cause problems.

Teach your child to recognize when he or she is teasing an animal. Puppies, for example, can feel teased if they never win a game of tug-of-war, while cats may not appreciate toys being constantly dragged back and forth in front of them if they never get to catch it.

Teach your child to watch how they act around your pets. Some animals feel threatened by sudden moves or loud voices, while others don’t like shrill voices, which is common among many girls.

Help your child build trust. Loving gestures, such as extra walks or gentle handling can go a long way toward building a loving, trusting relationship.

Noah’s Too is now taking reservations for doggy day camp, overnight lodging for both cats and dogs, and grooming.  Whether you require daycare or overnight lodging, Noah’s is here to ensure that while you are away, your pet is taken care of by loving, caring, and capable hands.

From over five years experience in the doggie daycare business, listening to the needs of our clients, hearing what they want and don’t want, getting to know what they like or dislike, Noah’s Too PetResort was envisioned.  Noah’s Too is a culmination of listening to our clients, our experience, and wanting the best for our guests. 

Pets are not all alike.  They have their own personalities and require special attention from their care givers.  Noah’s strives to provide an environment where your pet gets the special attention they deserve and they’re excited about their stay with us and can’t wait to come back. 

Think about it…. Your pet is the only member of your family that you get to choose.  They are always happy to see you return – even if you just took out the trash, they’re happy you are back!  Josh Billings wrote, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”   Don’t they deserve to be treated with as much love as they give you?

We offer full service dog and cat grooming.  Our two groomers have over 12 years of experience grooming dogs and cats.  Our electric grooming table makes the grooming experience easier than one completed on an old traditional hydraulic type grooming table.

The facility itself is over 7000 square foot in size with an outside dog walk area enclosed by an 8’ high privacy fence.  The heating and air conditioning units were extensively modified to provide all areas with fresh outside air.  Our air circulation system was designed to move over 7000 cubic feet of air per minute (CFM).  That is 1 cubic foot of fresh air per minute per square foot of floor space.  What this means to your pet is that they are provided fresh clean air on a regular basis, which reduces the risk of any airborne transmission of disease causing pathogens.

We know that your pet is special and that is why at Noah’s we treat our guests as part of our family.

The Noah’s Team

“He is your friend, your partner, your dog.  You are his life, his love, his leader.  He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.  You owe it to him to be worthy of his devotion.”

-Unknown