With lots of food, decorations, visitors and icy weather this time of year, it’s important to keep your critters safe so that all can have a happy holiday season. Here are a few tips and reminders to help:

• Poinsettas, while beautiful, are toxic to dogs and cats.

• Tinsel on trees is a tempting toy, especially for young animals. If swallowed, however, tinsel can cause serious internal injuries.

• Chocolate, a holiday favorite for people, is toxic to dogs. Read this article for more details.

• Dogs are attracted to the taste of antifreeze. If consumed, the results may be fatal. Stow containers out of reach and check vehicles to ensure there are no leaks.

• Products that melt ice on walkways and driveways irritate paws and if licked can injure animals. Choose a safe alternative available at many healthy food stores or online.

• Check with your vet for a change in hours of operation over the holidays. It’s always a good idea to have an emergency animal hospital phone number programmed in your cell phone, just in case.

• While some animals may love the extra visitors to their home this holiday, some may not. Commotion and loud noises can be very disturbing to some animals. Consider creating a safe, quiet area or room where animals can retreat to if they need a place of refuge.

Wishing you and your human and animal family a safe and happy holiday!

Happiness Revealed is a gorgeous video with a beautiful and inspiring message created by nature photographer Louis Schwartzberg. A brief introduction to the artist and his work is followed by the video itself.

This message is a wonderful reminder that every day is a good day to be grateful and that cultivating gratitude in our lives is a blessing for all.

Click here to be directed to the link.   Enjoy!

I am grateful for you in my life and I wish you many blessings! What are you grateful for today?

Mugsy is a fearless tabby kitty who is known as the cat who slaps gators. This video clip will show you why. He’s one tough kitty. Hope you enjoy this amusing video.

Copy this link into your browser to watch:  http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/watch/Bad-Dog%21/7125875514716126112/2258005751/The-Cat-Who-Slaps-Gators/videos?cmpid=FCST_hero_tv

No one knows why they do it. Yet each fall, thousands of starlings dance in the twilight above England and Scotland. The birds gather in shape-shifting flocks called murmurations, having migrated in the millions from Russia and Scandinavia to escape winter’s frigid bite. Scientists aren’t sure how they do it.

The murmurations are manifestations of swarm intelligence, which in different contexts is practiced by schools of fish, swarms of bees and colonies of ants. Even complex algorithmic models haven’t yet explained the starlings’ aerobatics, which rely on the tiny birds’ quicksilver reaction time of under 100 milliseconds to avoid aerial collisions  in the giant flock.

This short video was captured by two young women out in their canoe one day. It’s extraordinary. Enjoy!