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Every holiday, websites, columns and other publications dedicated to pets publish caveats about the dangers to animals presented by celebrations.\u00a0It\u2019s pretty commonsensical\u2014make sure cats, dogs and rabbits are confined so that they can\u2019t slink through a door when guests arrive; keep their ID tags and microchips current (be sure they have a chip\u2014they do work); if the pet isn\u2019t social around humans, provide a private space somewhere in the house, even if it\u2019s a large carrier (confinement can be difficult in a studio apartment where the only separate room is the bathroom\u2014and guests will need to use it); and please, please, please\u2014don\u2019t feed them table scraps. Chocolate can be toxic and even deadly; turkey, stuffing and bones\u2014particularly bones\u2014can cause internal injuries; and plastic and foil packaging, which any pet worth his or her title will <\/i>chew on, can really mess up their insides.<\/p>\n
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If a pet ingests anything harmful or you see the animal choking, coughing, or acting weird, call an emergency vet immediately. Long Beach Animal Emergency on PCH and Ximeno (near Staples), (562) 735-5200, and VCA at 10701 South Street in Cerritos,(562) 926-3600<\/a>), are open 24 hours, including holidays.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Pets will know that there\u2019s something up, with all the guests. They always do. But they have no idea that it\u2019s a day devoted to thankfulness. They\u2019re either thankful every day, or they believe that free room, board and toys scattered everywhere are their due. (They are.) But if you must keep up the charade, such quality commercial pet-food manufacturers as Merrick and Blue Buffalo offer such treats as Classic Thanksgiving Day Dinner and Turkey Day Feast. Silly\u2014and yes, my cats love Merrick\u2019s Granny\u2019s Pot Pie. If you\u2019re industrious, Google \u201cThanksgiving Pet Recipes,\u201d and you\u2019ll find stuff you can cook for your pet and share with them as well. Of course, they\u2019ll beg for your identical dish as you sit and eat.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking of eating and Thanksgiving and pets, there are cats and dogs in the city who don\u2019t have it as good as yours and mine do. People who are homeless or on the street and who have animals consider their pets the only friends they can trust\u2014their protectors. Most homeless people take care of \u00a0their pets as best as they can\u2014you may have seen cats and dogs who seem to be in better shape than their humans. Please also remember them this Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The following are one national and two local organizations that provide for pets of homeless people. If you have a donation list, please add them. There\u2019s a couple of cases Merrick\u2019s Classic Thanksgiving Day Dinner in my trunk that\u2019s going to a couple of them.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Happy Thanksgiving to you and your furry, feathered and scaly friends.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Christian Outreach in Action (COA)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>is located at 515 East 3rd<\/sup> Street in Long Beach. COA has a pet food bank and provides food for cats, dogs, birds and rabbits every Thursday from 9AM to noon.<\/p>\n![\"COA\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/COA.JPG\")
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