How can you keep your kitty 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 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Cat in Bag image courtesy pyxopotamus on Flickr
Pumpkin Cat image courtesy libbydorazione on Flickr
Great tips! We guess we’re lucky that our human doesn’t do Halloween anymore. Derry, especially, would be terrified all evening if she did, and it’s so not worth the stress.
Purrs and peace.
Halloween pretty much doesn’t exist in my neck of the woods. I haven’t seen a trick or treater in 14 years!
These are great tips! Although I would be happy for some Halloween canteloupe. 😉
I laughed at the don’t share rule. My mom would no sooner share candy than give Caroline away! (Thankfully she’s off the candy kick this year.)
We don’t do Halloween and hopefully we won’t get any callers being silly – it’s only recently started to be a big thing in the UK and it’s thought the pictures from America have made it become more popular here.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
theeze bee grate tipz guys…thanx for sharin, heerz hopin ya find sum catnip & grazz in yur baskit !!! 🙂 ♥
We sure don’t like all the doorbell ringing!
great tips! for the past few years now, we just pretend we aren’t home on Howloween 😀
Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie
Excellent tips for pets of all types.
Gweat posty.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi