OkcPets Magazine July 2023

12 OKC Pets • July / August 2023 Here’s what you can do: • Switch to lead-free ammunition for hunting. • Clean up gut piles that are contaminated with lead. • Avoid cutting fishing lines. • Remove all fishing line, lures, and hooks from the environment. • Advocate for the use of lead-free hunting and the cleanup of angling equipment. Trash and Food Although most people know not to throw trash out of car windows, apple cores and other food waste can be equally deadly to wildlife. Food thrown from car windows attracts small rodents. Raptors such as red- tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, barred owls, great horned owls, and others are at- tracted to places where rodents are. (Raptors are a great way to control rodent popula- tions.) When a bird dives to capture a rodent enjoying a banana peel tossed from a car window or takes off after having captured its prey, it is often hit by a person driving a car. Here’s what you can do: • Never throw trash or food — even items that are biodegradable — out of a car window. • Give animals a “brake.” Slow down to allow birds eating carrion or capturing prey a chance to take off and clear your car. Slow down and allow mammals to cross the road — they are often terrified and confused. As long as it is safe for you to do so, give them a few seconds to get their bearings and cross the road safely. Dogs and Cats One of the primary reasons wildlife is brought to WildCare is interaction with cats and dogs. Because of their own instincts, pets generally cannot be trained to leave wildlife alone. Wildlife caught and injured by pets always needs medical atten- tion. Scratches and bites must be treated with antibiotics because the likelihood of infection from such wounds is high. Interactions with wildlife can also be dangerous for pets, particularly those that are not vaccinated or not up to date on vaccinations for distemper, rabies, and other diseases. If your dog or cat kills, maims, or interacts with wildlife, you should contact your veterinarian to assess any risks to your pet. In some cases, people feed their cats and dogs outside. That attracts wildlife that otherwise might not be there and increases the chances of unwelcome interactions between pets and wildlife. During baby season, avoiding outdoor meals for cats and dogs, monitoring dogs when outside, and keeping cats indoors are the best ap- proaches to coexisting with wildlife. That gives wildlife families struggling to get by a chance to have and raise their young. If you do have a nest of cottontails, a family of skunks, or birds nesting in your yard, keep pets away from those areas. And remember, if your dogs or cats do harm wildlife, it is not their fault — they are acting on instinct. Here’s what you can do: • Get your pets vaccinated and be sure their vaccinations are current. • Keep cats indoors. Consider an enclosed “catio,” which provides safe outside time for your cats and keeps them from nega- tively impacting wildlife. • Monitor dogs outside, particularly during baby season. • Remove cat and dog feeding stations from outside. • Create barriers between known wildlife nests and your pets. Fireworks, Firecrackers, and Other Things That Go Boom It’s hard for many people to imagine a Fourth of July celebration without fire- works, firecrackers, and other things that make loud noises. Although they are fun for people, the sounds, sights, and smells of pyrotechnics cause stress for most wildlife, pets, and farm animals. Because many people use fireworks to mark all manner of celebrations, fireworks and other noise- making devices can be seen and heard throughout the summer and even into the fall. Limiting fireworks, firecrackers, and other pyrotechnics to the Fourth of July can help to mitigate some of the negative effects of those products. Pyrotechnics are made with heavy met- als and other chemicals (lead, perchlorate, strontium, aluminum, barium, cadmium, dioxins, and rubidium, some of which are radioactive and are known carcinogens) that pollute the air and the trash left behind, if not properly disposed of. They are not only unsightly but can also pollute streams, ponds, and lakes. Finally, when ignited by inexperienced people or during dry conditions, pyrotechnics can create fires — in fields, woods, and even homes. That is a danger to animals and people. Here’s what you can do: • Attend a public firework display rather than having your own — this is safer, will save you money, and will limit toxic pollution. • Limit the use of pyrotechnics to the Fourth of July. • Clean up the trash left behind after these products are detonated. • Ensure that you follow instructions and avoid areas that can easily catch on fire. Aquatic mammals such as this North American otter can be injured or killed by angling equipment and other trash that people leave behind at ponds, streams, rivers, and lakes.