Tag Archives: cats INDOORS on Halloween!

Fashion

Make Halloween a treat, not a trick, for animals

20161028_121020-1
Lilac looks so frou frou in her Halloween boa…

20161028_120959-1
But wait… Lilac!!!!! No!!!!

20161028_122750-1
Jett, Rose’s brave little man, plays short stop this Halloween! pics:R.T.

By Lindsay Pollard-Post

During a recent afternoon walk, my normally easygoing canine companion, Pete, suddenly froze in his tracks. The hair on his neck shot up, and he let out a low, wary growl. It was as if he’d seen a ghost. And he had, sort of. Three of them dangled from a neighbor’s tree, their gauzy, white material rippling and dancing in the breeze. After some reassuring words, Pete decided that the specters were just a spectacle and went back to sniffing trees. But the encounter was a reminder that to animals, our Halloween festivities can be scary, indeed—and sometimes even perilous.

A parade of costumed goblins, princesses and superheroes at the door can make even the friendliest dogs and cats skittish and prone to bolting outside—or even biting a child they mistake for an intruder. Prevent real-life horror on Halloween by keeping your animals in a quiet room away from the front door during trick-or-treat time and staying with them as much as you can. The same applies if you’re hosting a bash. And do your dogs a favor: Walk them earlier in the day, before the streets fill with kids on a quest for candy—don’t drag them along trick-or-treating. They can be easily frightened by the commotion and even get loose and run off.

Always ensure that your animal companions are microchipped and wearing collars with current ID tags, just in case. But please don’t subject them to the stress of being dressed up. Many dogs and most cats feel nervous and uncomfortable when forced to wear clothes. Costumes can impair their ability to see, move and breathe, and they can even choke or strangle if they attempt to eat small parts from costumes or become entangled in them. Leave dress-up to the kids (or adults, if you’re so inclined), and let animals be their naturally adorable selves.

Decorations help set a festive mood, but they can be hazardous to curious noses and paws. Jack-o’-lanterns and candles can burn animals (and kids) or start fires if tipped over. The ink that is used in some brightly colored decorations, such as orange streamers and paper pumpkins, is toxic to animals—and swallowed balloons or party favors can block their digestive tract—so keep all these holiday accoutrements out of reach.

Many animals can’t resist sampling treats—wrappers and all—that contain toxic ingredients such as chocolate, raisins, xylitol or macadamia nuts. Keep all candies and other Halloween treats out of their reach, and make sure that kids and guests know not to share such goodies with them. If you suspect that your animal companion has swallowed something toxic, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison hotline immediately so you’ll know what to do if you see any symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, not defecating or straining to defecate, agitation, increased thirst or seizures. Time is of the essence when it comes to treating for poison, so don’t delay getting to an emergency veterinarian if it seems warranted.

While most people enjoy Halloween in fun ways, real evil does lurk outside, especially this time of year. People have intentionally let dogs out of backyards, poked at them through fences and even pelted them with eggs. Black cats are unfairly associated with dark forces and frequently targeted by cruel people. Protect your animals by keeping them indoors on Halloween (and always) and letting them out for fresh air and exercise only on a leash and harness or in a safe, fenced area, under supervision. If you see stray animals, take them to an open-admission shelter or call animal control for help.

A good scare on Halloween can be fun, but no one wants to be haunted by the memory of a beloved animal companion who was sickened, injured or even killed during the festivities. Following these simple precautions will help ensure that Halloween is a treat, not a trick, for everyone.

Animal Issues

Keep your cat indoors on Halloween! … and all year round!

By Alisa Mullins
 
When my mom was a little girl, she had a favorite black cat named Midnight. He was one of more than a dozen former strays who had wandered into the family’s life, drawn by the abundance of cat food that was always set out on the front porch. Occasionally, one of the cats would mysteriously disappear, and my mom and her sister would comfort themselves with the unlikely scenario that the cat had “run away.”
 
But when Mom’s favorite, Midnight, went missing on Halloween, she knew in her bones that something terrible had happened to him. She searched for him for days, but it was no use—he was already dead. She finally found his body under the front porch. He had been tortured—probably by neighborhood boys up to “mischief”—and had dragged himself home to die. My mom learned a valuable lesson that day, and when she grew up, the handsome brown tabby our family adopted was kept indoors at all times.
 
Nowadays, most guardians know to keep their cats—especially black ones—inside on Halloween. Many animal shelters refuse to allow the adoption of black cats in the days preceding it, for fear that cruel people would acquire them with the intent to do them harm.
 
But the danger doesn’t pass once the last Twizzler has been handed out to the last Elsa or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
 
Cats who are allowed to roam outside unattended are in danger every day of the year. The threats range from speeding cars and spilled antifreeze to stray dogs and cruel people who don’t like cats digging in their gardens or sitting on their cars. Recently, a Mississippi woman posted a photo on her Facebook page of a cat she had allegedly burned, threatening to “burn them one by one if I have to.”
 
Even in this day and age, there are people who think killing cats is “fun.” They brag and even laugh about it. They use cats for target practice, shooting at free-roaming cats as if they were clay pigeons rather than living, feeling beings. Just a few recent cases include cats who were shot with guns or crossbows in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. A cat in Massachusetts who was shot with a steel broadhead arrow (designed to inflict the maximum damage) was so badly injured that he had to be euthanized. He was just a year old.
 
In fact, the average lifespan of a cat who goes outside is just 2 to 5 years, a fraction of the 14-year average lifespan of an indoor cat.
 
Today’s concrete jungles are far too dangerous for such vulnerable little beings. Don’t learn a tragic lesson at your cat’s expense: Keep your cat indoors where it’s safe—on Halloween and every other day of the year.