Our pets are part of our families and our memories. Whether they are dogs, cats, hamsters or rabbits, they enrich our lives. Creating a pet-themed scrapbook album will preserve the special moments you share with them. Consider these scrapbooking pet page ideas to make an album just for your pet photos.

Everyone remembers the excitement of bringing home a new pet. Make a scrapbooking page about their first night at home. You can include pictures of your pet’s new bed and any toys you bought for your pet. Photos with each family member should be highlighted as well. Journal your thoughts about how you selected your new companion and what inspired you to choose its name.

Another scrapbooking pet page idea is to capture your pet’s personality on a page. This can be done through photos and journaling. Dogs might be lazy, energetic or neurotic. Cats can be affectionate, frisky or aloof. Hamsters might be friendly, shy or bold. Consider your own pet’s behavior. Funny stories and memories would be a great addition to your journaling.

Create a scrapbooking page of pet memorabilia. You can use pockets and envelopes on your pages to add tufts of fur, old ID tags, baby teeth and labels from your pet’s favorite food or treats. A pet-themed album can preserve your pet’s adoption papers, paw print impressions, veterinary records and obedience training awards and certificates.

Obedience classes are great photo opportunities. Design pages that show your pet’s progress through training courses. More people are involving their dogs in classes beyond basic obedience. Many active owners participate in agility training, fly ball and rally competition. Don’t forget to include photos of these events in your dog’s album.

Pets are part of our holiday celebrations. Create a Halloween page with your dog in a costume. Around the holidays, pet stores often offer pictures of pets with Santa. Pages of a kitten playing in the wrapping paper on Christmas morning or a puppy sleeping under the tree can be part of both your holiday album and your pet-themed scrapbook.

Document your pet’s firsts like your dog’s first visit to the veterinarian or your puppy’s first bath. Photograph your puppy’s growth over its first year. Create a “day in the life” page for your pet. Meal, nap and play times can be more opportunities to show your pet’s behavior and personality in photos. Celebrate your pet’s birthdays complete with cards, presents and cake. Then, make birthday scrapbooking pages for your album.

Scrapbooking manufacturers are responding to requests for pet-themed albums and embellishments. Most craft stores stock dog and cat stickers, and some even offer small animal stickers, like hamsters and rabbits. Patterned papers come with dog and cat themes. You can find materials for page accents, like die cuts, brads, ribbons, and stamps, designed for pet pages, as well.

Owning a pet is a relationship and a commitment. Pets provide companionship and their lives become part of ours. A pet-themed album is a reflection of your bond with your pet. Think about pet scrapbooking page ideas that capture the essence of your relationship with your pet. Make your next scrapbook one that celebrates the special moments you and your pet share.

Sometimes, the “human” foods that your pet loves to eat can be quite dangerous for it in many ways. In some cases, you may give these foods to your pet without even realizing the potential dangers. Yet, it is important to realize which foods should be avoided in order to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Fatty Foods

Just as fatty foods are not healthy for you, they are not healthy for your pet, either. Unfortunately, however, fatty foods can be more than just “unhealthy” for your pet. In fact, they can be downright dangerous. Yet, pet owners often give these types of foods to their pets as a special treat.

Feeding fatty foods to your pet can cause problems with its pancreas, including the development of pancreatitis. Although all pets can develop pancreatitis by eating fatty foods, cocker spaniels, miniature schnauzers and toy or miniature poodles are particularly susceptible. Signs that your pet is suffering from pancreatitis include:

o Vomiting
o Diarrhea
o Abdominal pain

Your pet may develop these symptoms quite suddenly and will likely need to receive intensive fluid and antibiotic treatment in order to recover.

Dairy Products

Every pet likes to drink a little milk, right? While your cat or dog may beg you for a drink of your milk or a taste of your cheese, it is best to avoid feeding dairy products to your pets. Although feeding dairy products generally will not cause a fatal reaction, it is possible for dairy products to cause your pet to become ill. This is partially because the digestive systems of pets do not contain the enzyme that is necessary for digesting the lactose found in dairy products. In addition, many dairy products are high in fat content. As such, dairy products also place your pet at risk of developing pancreatitis. While most dogs can tolerate eating small amounts of cheese or yogurt, it is generally best to avoid feeding them dairy products. At the very minimum, these products are likely to cause gas and diarrhea.

Old Table Scraps

Although it is generally best to avoid feeding your pet table scraps because they do not offer the balanced nutrition offered by pet foods, it is particularly important to avoid feeding old table scraps to your pet. If the old table scraps have become moldy or spoiled, it can lead to food poisoning and other serious illness. A pet that has eaten moldy foods, for example, may develop tremors or otherwise become quite ill. In order to prevent your pet from eating moldy or spoiled foods, be certain to through your table scraps away in a secure trash can that your pet will not be able to access.

Macadamia Nuts

You might thing that Macadamia nuts will make for a nice, crunchy treat for your pet. In reality, these nuts can actually be toxic to your pet, though no one is quite sure why they are toxic to animals. Nonetheless, there are reported cases of pets becoming poisoned by as little as six Macadamia nuts. Dogs that eat Macadamia nuts may develop the following symptoms:

o Weakness
o Tremors
o Pale Gums
o Depression
o Abdominal pain
o Difficulty walking
o Vomiting
o Stiffness
o Lameness

Usually, these signs disappear within 12 to 24 hours, but it is still important to contact your veterinarian in order to ensure your pet’s health and safety.