How Dogs and Cats Have Fun on Halloween
Remember how funny it can be to put on a mask on Halloween and running around the neighbourhood coupled with the fun derived from it. Halloween puts out the imaginative, fun and silly side. Who doesn’t love once a year to dress like a swashbuckler or a prom queen? Some people who’re so fond of Halloween sometimes dress up their cats too.
You want your pets to be involved in all the fun, but Halloween can pose some frightening issues like awkward costumes, getting into candy and knocking over pumpkins. Spooky sounds and strange people have to contend with too. Below are some tips for a safe and fun Halloween.
Ensure that your cat remains indoors the days to Halloween and even on Halloween day. A few dishonest people use other cats for pranks and malicious purposes. For that same reason, most animal shelters and the Humane Society do not allow people to adopt Black Cats from mid-October through to Halloween.
When you wear your cat a costume for Halloween, make sure the dress doesn’t hinder its normal functions. Be sure they can breathe properly, see, hear, move around, walk and go to the places as usual.
Look out for any little, hanging objects that can be easily pulled off and choked on. Look for any signs that your cat might get stressed out of wearing the costume. If your cat is not the costume kind, then don’t pressure them to wear one.
If you’re taking your pet, trick-or-treat with you make sure they have reflective material at a prominent position in whatever costume they have on. If their costume is too dark to be seen at night and keep them with you at all times, be sure to add a few pieces of reflective tape!
Cats and dogs can become reluctant participants in Halloween pranks or other mischiefs. Hold your pets inside and away from nighttime troubleshooters. During and on Halloween, make sure your cat wears its collar and name tag when you take them for an evening walk or let them out briefly at night.
If there is more traffic on the streets than
usual, keep your cat indoors for the night. When you have any concerns about
the safety of your pets, keep them indoors and let them go out or in the yard
for as long as they can relieve themselves and carry them indoors.
Keep wrappers out of reach of your cats. All Chocolate types can be dangerous to Cats and Dogs. Foil and cellophane wrappers are potential choking hazards for your animals. When your cat or dog has eaten something they shouldn’t have, contact your Vet immediately or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
To make your cat feel like they’re part of the celebrations and, more importantly, to have some treats and other favourite foods on hand for them to keep away their attention from snacks on some harmful goodies. Throughout the evening some sweets will help them relax and enjoy themselves more.
Halloween plants like pumpkins, corn stalks and gourds are relatively non-toxic, but when consumed, they can disturb your pet’s stomach and digestive system. Blockage can also occur if you swallow more significant bits. As a precaution, be sure to keep those plants away from your pet.
There’s a great selection of Halloween decorations that are used in your neighbourhood and house. Make sure any wires and cords from electrical appliances are out of reach of your pets. Keep your cat away from any tiny, beautiful decorations such as window lights and fake spider webs that make your pet choke or get tangled in.
Hold the cat and kitten away from pumpkin candles. The curiosity of kittens can result in singing or nasty burns from a candle. An accidental fire can also begin from a pet knocking over a pumpkin. Place the pumpkin far away from you cats reach if you are using a candle in your pumpkin. Alternate ways to light the pumpkin can also be considered.
Place your cat in a safe area of the house before your trick-or-treaters begin to get to the door. This can become too frightening and exhausting for your cat to continually open and shut the door, noise and odd faces and even stranger costumes. If your cat feels unsafe, your cat can run out of the door to avoid the disturbance.