There are a few things we can do for our feline friends on Halloween night to keep them safe. I know some of these things seem real simple, but with little ghosts and goblins caught up in the excitement of trick-or-treating, our cat friends can be overlooked. This year Halloween is on Friday night, which means there may be more children out and about because parents don't have to get up the next day to go to work. Typically, this is also a night teenagers cherish to go out with friends, and being Halloween, may have a later curfew than normal. Keeping all this in mind, I have found it best to put my cat, Misty in my bedroom with food, water, and her litter box, with the door closed, so she doesn't slip out of the house when I'm busy at the door.
If your cat is the outdoor type, then please bring them inside for the night! Sadly, there are people out there who find fun in hurting poor defenseless animals. Why take the chance? Put them in your basement, bedroom, rec room, somewhere out of the main flow of traffic to your front door where you'll be busy looking at all the incredible costumes kids have access to these days.
Keep in mind, that at the end of the night when your little ghost and goblins come home, candy must be checked! I usually put an old bed sheet on the living room floor and have one child at a time empty their treat bag on it. I then sift through each piece. When Misty (my cat) comes into the room, anything on the floor is automatically hers, so I watch for anything unwrapped that she may make off with and claim as her own. Chocolate is deadly to cats, so make sure there's none in reach of your cat.
Because Misty is one of my "kids" I usually go to the store and buy her a new toy to occupy her while my two are sifting through and trading their candy.
Black cats are particularly vulnerable to abuse this time of year. Because of the stigma attached to them as "superstitious" or "magical" they take the brunt of abuse. I lost my 5 pound cat named Licorice on Halloween about 10 years ago, do to neighborhood teens who had nothing better to do. I really don't want to see anyone else out there go through this heartache. It's so unnecessary. Keep your cats inside away from harm. It takes two minutes to secure them in a room with a door where you know they're safe. Better to be safe than sorry.
Keep yourself, your little ones and your feline friends safe and happy this Halloween night.
Karen Mckee - proud pet owner of Misty.
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