How to keep your black cat safe this Halloween
It’s that time of year again. I love Halloween but it can be a scary time for our pets, particularly black cats who are often targeted for acts of random cruelty by Halloween pranksters. If you have a black cat you should keep him or her indoors for at least a week before Halloween and for a few days afterwards.
Unfortunately Halloween is also a time when people acquire black cats to embellish their Halloween experiences or decorations. On the criminal end of this spectrum, some individuals adopt black cats to inflict cruelty on them or to perform ‘satanic rituals’ or ‘sacrifices’. For this reason, animal shelters now refuse to adopt out black cats during October to prevent the potential for animal cruelty.
Safety Tips
- Keep your all your cats indoors, not just your black cats. Most cats are spooked by visitors to your home it is best to keep them indoors and in a safe room away from the main entrance to your home and the onslaught of eager trick or treaters. This minimises the risks of cats darting out the front door and onto the street.
Why are black cats considered unlucky?
- The original ‘crazy cat lady’ was a single middle-aged woman living in Europe during the Middle Ages and they often fed and cared for stray cats who were believed to be their ‘witch familiars’ linking witches to the spirit world — particularly black cats — black representing evil. So black cats were believed to be bad luck.
- Sacrificing cats began in medieval times, when the Church decreed that felines were linked to the Devil, a theme that has continued in literature and film to this day. Check out Sabrina on Netflix — with the famous black cat Salem.
- Yet in Japan, black cats are considered a sign of good luck.
- In Belize, locals are frightened of black cats which possibly derives from voodoo superstition.
Dangers of Halloween Candy for your Cat
- Halloween candy can be toxic to your cats so don’t leave these lying around. Your cat can unknowingly ingest Halloween wrappers as well as the candy causing choking or a life threatening bowel obstruction.
- If you think your cat has eaten Halloween candy or is showing any sign of distress like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, not defecating or straining to defecate, agitation, increased thirst, an elevated heart rate, and in severe cases, seizures take your pet to the vet straight away or contact your local 24 Hour Poisons Helpline at 1–800–213–6680 if you think your cat may have eaten something toxic something or might be injured.
You should also provide a safe place for your cat to nest during Halloween festivities away from the noise and festivities:
Our Premium Felt Cat Cave shown in pink below provides a cozy haven for your cat at this potentially stressful time of year:
Also our Triangular Cat Cave is also an excellent choice. The one shown below fits our Mother Cat Tabitha and all her baby kittens. Plus it looks elegant in your living room. The neutral grey and beige tones doesn’t upset the harmony of a room. Of all our products, the grey triangle is the easiest to clean and it stays looking new for longer than a year.
If you have kittens, as we do, you might consider a small kitten condo:
While it might seem cute to dress your cat in a Halloween costume, think very carefully about how this might impair their movements or if there any irritants on the costume to your cat’s eyes, fur or paws. Additionally some costumes can restrict their vision, making them prone to falls or other accidents. Putting your cat in these costumes can also stress them out. Although a scarf like in the picture shown below is probably okay.
I love Halloween but I know for a fact that my cats — particularly my two black cats, Salem and Tabitha, will be relieved when it is over.