While we have the perfect name for Halloween (Black and Orange Cat Foundation–sadly, we could never fit in for Christmas–Red and Green Cat Foundation?) and we love the holiday, we always worry about the black kitties we so adore at this time of the year. There are a lot of creepy people who decide it might be fun to harm black cats around Halloween.
The best thing to do as Halloween approaches is to keep your black cats and, in fact, any of your cats or pets, inside where they will be safe from pranksters and mean people. Even if there aren’t gangs of delinquents patrolling your neighborhood looking to tie firecrackers to a cat’s tail or have a “sacrifice” in a local cemetery, just the crowd of trick-or-treaters traipsing to your door can be a scary occurrence for pets accustomed to peace and quiet.
Open doors are also a threat at this time of year as you pass out candy—that thin opening provides a means of escape for a frightened pooch or kitty. Keep animals well away from open doors if they are a bit shy or scared (or even overly exuberant about meeting new people). And just to make sure no one gets lost if there is a door darter, have identification on your pets if they are not microchipped.
And, while we have been guilty of this crime, don’t dress your pets in costumes to torture them unless they are okay with it and are not going to freak out.
We really think Winston secretly wants to be a pirate, so it is OKAY that we made him pretend to be Johnny Depp for a photo op. And Oswald loves to wear hats!
For more safety tips, visit the ASPCA site HERE or the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) site HERE.
For safety tips specific to dogs, please go HERE.
Leave a Reply