Whilst Halloween is a fun celebration for adults and children; it can be stressful and potentially dangerous for cats. Keep your cat safe and stress free this Halloween with our top safety tips.
Keep Your Cat Indoors
Even if your cat is usually an outdoor cat, keep them indoors and safe on Halloween night. Cruel pranksters have been known to tease, injure, or steal cats on Halloween night, and black cats are especially at risk. Better to be safe than sorry!
If you live in a neighbourhood where ‘trick or treating’ is popular, chances are that your doorbell with ring constantly and your door will constantly open and close to strangers in scary costumes making frightening noises on your doorstep. Even the most outgoing cats are likely to be scared by the noise and commotion. Reduce your cat’s anxiety levels by confining them to a secure room away from the noise and where they can’t dart for the door in panic. You don’t want to be looking for a scaredy-cat that’s bolted on Halloween night. If your cat does happen to escape make sure they are microchipped and wearing a collar with ID tags.
Trick or Treat Candy is NOT Safe for Cats
All varieties of chocolate – dark, milk, white – are dangerous to cats. Chocolate contains caffeine and a chemical substance called theobromine which is highly toxic to cats. Even small amounts of chocolate can cause heart attacks, and trigger a range of toxic reactions in cats including death. Halloween candy containing the artificial sweetener xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies, gum and baked goods) can also cause problems. Please also be careful with candy wrappers. Cats love to play with shiny foil wrappers and crinkly cellophane, but ingesting these wrappers can cause intestinal blockages and other issues.
Jack-o’-Lantern Fire Safety
A carved jack-o’-lantern pumpkin is the perfect decoration at Halloween but to ensure it’s safe for cats please don’t add candles with a naked flame. Curious cats and kittens, are often fascinated by flickering candle flames and risk being burned if they get too close. Similarly, frightened cats darting through the house in panic can easily knock over a carved pumpkin with a candle burning inside. The last thing you want is to risk a household fire. Instead of placing candles in your halloween jack-o’-lantern, our safety tip is to choose a battery operated candle or go candle free.
Avoid Halloween Costume Stress
Wearing a costume can cause your cat undue stress, so please don’t dress your cat in a Halloween costume unless you know they’ll love it. As an alternative to a head-to-paw costume, why not opt for a simpler Halloween fashion statement such as a bandana or collar.
If you do decide to dress your cat for Halloween, then it is vital that you ensure their costume is safe. It should not constrict their movement, hearing, vision or their ability to breathe, drink or meow. You may like to have a ‘trial run’, and see how your cat reacts to their costume before Halloween night. Be aware that synthetic fabrics can cause allergic reactions in some pets.
It goes without saying that cats in costume should never be left alone and unsupervised. Your cat may try to remove the costume or chew it, which if ingested could cause choking or intestinal obstruction. If your cat attempts to escape the Halloween party, you risk their costume getting caught on a fence or tree branch as they flee.
As you get ready to celebrate, we hope these Halloween safety tips help to keep your cat safe and feeling stress free on the spookiest night of the year!
Wow! I never stopped to think about cats and the stress they may have with Halloween. As a dog owner I always think about cats as aloof and laid back, great information!
Ah! I didn’t even think about Jackolanterns and my puds! Thanks for this tip, I’ll be keeping them far away from the fire, I’ve got one naughty little black pud who would be so mesmerised by an open flame!