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You are here: Home / Safety / Cat Safety for Halloween

Cat Safety for Halloween

How can you keep your cat safe this Halloween? Depending on how much trick-or-treating happens in your neighborhood and how much you love to decorate for the holiday, these tips can help:

Keep your indoor-outdoor cat inside, at least for the evening

If you have lots of scary strangers walking up the front walk in costumes over and over, it increases the likelihood of your outdoor cat being frightened and going missing or having an accident happen.

Make a quiet spot away from the front door’s constant ringing and opening

You may want to play some soothing music in the room to help cover the doorbell noises for the anxious cat. Some cats are calmer when they have a place to hide, so try providing a box or other hiding spot. If your cat is really anxious about the doorbell and door, consider sitting on your porch to hand out candy so that the bell isn’t causing such agitation.

gray tabby cat in cardboard box

Make sure your cat has ID

Since your kitty won’t carry an ID card, both a collar and microchip are suggested to make sure that if trick-or-treaters or Halloween revelers spook your cat and she ends up lost, someone can help her get home safely.

Be careful with Halloween decor

It’s not manufactured to be a safe cat toy and may have unhealthy components or pieces that are easily torn off by a playful cat, such as gauzy fake spiderwebs, which can cause blockages if ingested. Don’t forget that a candle inside a jack-o-lantern is still an open flame and can be dangerous if knocked down. Consider using a battery-powered, artificial candle instead.

black and white tuxedo kitten and pumpkin with C on it

Watch out for Halloween toys that weren’t meant for cats and might be a hazard

Glow sticks, enjoyed by children instead of flashlights while trick-or-treating, can be toxic.

If you’re going to dress kitty up in a costume, even just for photos, do it safely

If your cat isn’t used to wearing clothes, watch for signs of distress and don’t overdo it if your kitty gets upset. Be sure that the costume isn’t too tight for your cat to draw a deep breath and doesn’t obscure your cat’s vision.

black and white tuxedo kitten wears green Starbucks apron

Don’t share Halloween candy with your cat

If you have a cat like Ashton who will eat almost anything, whether it’s species-appropriate or not, make sure that candy is stored out of reach or in a sealed container.

Keeping your cat safe on Halloween. #cats #catsafety #halloweensafety
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October 31, 2018 Filed Under: Safety 13 Comments

Comments

  1. Brian Frum says

    October 31, 2018 at 7:14 am

    Ya just can’t be too safe! Happy Halloween from all of us!

    Reply
  2. The Island Cats says

    October 31, 2018 at 7:17 am

    Great safety tips. We’ll be staying safe under the bed. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Random Felines says

    October 31, 2018 at 8:47 am

    OMG – Cupcake found a pumpkin just for her!! (or Chanel) Is she going to help you pass out candy tonight?? Mom won’t be home, so we are off the hook.

    Reply
  4. KRISTEN V says

    October 31, 2018 at 9:07 am

    My cats used to love watching the trick-or-treaters….until one enterprising 5 year old saw them, dropped her candy bag and ran into the house screaming “Kitties!” It took 15 minutes to get her out from under the bed where she was trying to “pet the kitties”. That was pretty much it for feline supervision of the Halloween festivities.

    Reply
    • Patzy says

      November 4, 2018 at 3:22 am

      Just another great “crazy cat ladies” in training!! Good job, junior cat lady or cat guy! (It didn’t say)

      Reply
  5. Sweet Purrfections says

    October 31, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    Excellent recommendations. Mom Paula stopped participating in Halloween for Trick-o-treaters when we were kittens. She’ll shut off the lights and have us in the back of the house with her.

    Happy Halloween! We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable night and gets lots of treats and no tricks!

    Reply
  6. Eastside Cats says

    October 31, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    We don’t hand out candy (long story), but I always worry about The ‘O’ Cats. But they are very street savvy. Happy Halloween!

    Reply
  7. The Florida Furkids says

    October 31, 2018 at 3:17 pm

    Great tips. We don’t know how Noelle will handle Halloween but Mom usually goes outside to see the kids so we don’t get scared (plus our doorbell isn’t working!)

    Happy Halloween!!

    The Florida Furkids

    Reply
  8. The Swiss Cats says

    October 31, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    Great advice ! Happy Halloween ! Purrs

    Reply
  9. Margaret Elmendorf says

    October 31, 2018 at 4:22 pm

    Those are some great things to do for Halloween. Thanks for the advice. Happy Halloween.

    Reply
  10. Melissa & Mudpie says

    October 31, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    Very important tips! Mudpie has already decided to spend her Halloween safely tucked away in the bedroom 🙂

    Reply
  11. The Dash Kitten Crew says

    October 31, 2018 at 7:09 pm

    Cat safety is a top priority with us too and NO SWEETS!!!

    Reply
  12. Summer says

    October 31, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    My human had a hard time keeping me from trying to lick the cobwebs when we were doing the photo shoot! She needed to convince me that doing that was a very bad idea. Eventually I ignored them, but she won’t leave them around as decoration, ever.

    Reply

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