Jennifer Copley's Blog

Posted by Jennifer Copley

For unique pumpkin crafts that are great for kids, this website offers free pumpkin carving templates, including a cat, a panther, a haunted house, a ghost, and a lighted pumpkin tower. There are also pumpkin painting and decorating ideas that include flying saucers, bats, and witches.

For adults and older kids who want a real challenge, have a look at this photo album for some cool ideas. These elaborately carved pumpkins are works of art.

For more Halloween stuff, see:

• Pumpkin Crafts
• Halloween and the Black Cat
• Animals in Costume, Halloween History, and More

With Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up, there are a lot of treats lying around that pets shouldn’t eat. See Foods That Are Toxic to Cats and Dogs for more information.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

The first project, making a black cat from two pumpkins, is relatively easy. This would be a good Halloween art project for young children (though an adult should do the cutting). While simple, this project does require paint pens and other art supplies. Fun foam is suggested for making the cat’s scarf, but it would be easy to substitute a variety of other materials and dress the cat any way the kids want to. See the Michaels website for a photo of the finished project and a free design template.

The second is a project series that might prove highly addictive because it offers unlimited possibilities for making a broad array of elaborate pumpkin and gourd creatures. These pumpkin crafts are more sophisticated – projects for conscientious older children and adults. In addition to pumpkin cats, there are pumpkin owls, racoons, snakes, spiders, alligators, and porcupines. There are no templates offered, but the website does provide photos of completed pumpkin animals to guide in the design, and a page listing tools and offering carving tips for those who want to make their pumpkins true works of art.

For more Halloween stuff, see:

• Halloween and the Black Cat
• Animals in Costume, Halloween History, and More

With Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up, there are a lot of treats lying around that pets shouldn’t eat. See Foods That Are Toxic to Cats and Dogs for more information.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

To get pet owners into a Halloween mood, here are hilarious pictures of cats in elaborate Halloween costumes. The site also provides a gallery of costumed dogs and great pictures of other pets dressed up for the holiday, including various lizards, ferrets, ponies, hamsters, guinea pigs, parrots, and rabbits.

For Halloween history, see Halloween and the Black Cat, which details the historical origins and customs of the spooky celebration. For links to more Halloween cat stuff, see Halloween.com’s Cat Page, which offers Halloween cat crafts, a cat-shaped honey cookie recipe, cat clip art, and more.

For more quirky cat stuff, see:

• Dancing with Cats
• Painted Pets
• Cat and Pet-Related Holidays

Posted by Jennifer Copley

Lots of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas treats can be harmful to pets. While most cats won’t go for foods that can harm them, there are always exceptions to the rule, and dogs are often quite indiscriminate in their dietary choices. Foods to keep away from your furry friends include:

• Alcoholic beverages (particularly beer)
• Avocados
• Chocolate (all forms, including cocoa)
• Citrus oil
• Garlic and onions
• Grapes and raisins
• Human medications and vitamins
• Macadamia nuts
• Meat with bones in it (can cause choking)
• Mushrooms (may cause kidney damage)
• Products sweetened with Xylitol (gum, etc.)
• Salt
• Yeast dough (uncooked bread)

Many people give their pets baby food, particularly if the animal is recovering from an illness. If feeding a pet baby food, check the label to ensure that it contains none of the ingredients listed above.

For more information on toxic substances, see Plants That Are Poisonous to Cats and What to Do if Your Cat Has Been Poisoned.

Posted by Jennifer Copley