Yes, it’s getting on Halloween time again! If you’re planning a bit of trick-or-treating on the 31st, you may want to do what’s best for your cat, so that he can have a good time too! Here are a few safety tips that you might just want to consider...
Halloween means tricks, doesn’t it? So don’t let your cat be the one that gets tricked! And the best way to avoid that is to keep him safe at home, in a quiet room, far from the doorbell, the scary vampires and the firecrackers. Also, you should be particularly careful if you have a black cat. Indeed, there will always be loonies - or just outright sadists - to kidnap it simply because it’s black - because black is evil, isn’t it? Though we are now in the 21st century, the power of ancient superstitions still holds strong in some people’s minds and black cats are still a favourite target.
Another reason to keep your pet indoors is that festivities mean busy, and it doesn’t take long for a car to run-down an animal, especially after dark, when visibility is low.
If your cat cannot be put in a separate room, make sure that it doesn’t rush outside when you open the door to the trick-or-treaters. Equally, try to keep the noise down, so that he isn’t frightened. Remember: pets are often more sensitive to noise than we are, and are therefore more easily scared by big bangs, especially as they don’t necessarily understand why it is all happening in the first place! In any case, they will not be used to it and this is bound to cause them stress.
Noise and weird-looking strangers are one thing, poisoning is another. Poisoning a dog doesn’t even require bad intent: indeed, giving chocolate to your pet can be dangerous too! It contains a substance called Theobromine, which can be deadly if ingested. It may sound hard to believe for us, who generally love sweets of all kinds, but candy can kill your dog. So, on a day like Halloween, you should be extremely careful not to let your pet anywhere near the sweets, or people carrying them (i.e. just about everyone!). It is important to insist on that point.
Pets are like children: they like to taste and eat just about everything they come across. Decorations may be pretty and fun, but they definitely do not suit stomachs. And streamers that are too long to gobble are long enough for a dog to get tangled up in.
It’s funny just how curious and nosy cats can be, isn’t it? Did you know what getting burnt felt like before it happened? Well, neither does your pet and, personally, I would reckon that he doesn’t really want to find out. So do him a favor: keep him away from the candle-lit pumpkins. That way, he won’t get burnt, and he won’t tip anything over and burn the house down either.
Pets have feelings, just like you. But they don’t necessarily like the same things, and they rarely enjoy being dressed-up to look like a walking pumping, like “Dog Vader” or like “Chewbaccat”.
Any restriction of the pet’s ability to breathe, move, see or hear should be avoided. Also, be aware that even the kindest of pets can get snappy when irritated or annoyed.
Well, by now you’ve got the message, and we won’t apologize for being insistent: If you can, keep your cat safe at home, during as well as before and after the special night, and be wary when you let it out.
We hope these tips will save you and your friend a lot of needless bother, and we sincerely wish you a Happy, Scary and Safe Halloween!
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