Halloween can be dangerous for cats. The last thing you want is for everyone to be enjoying the festivities, then find your cat upset, sick, or worse, missing. Unfortunately, this happens to way too many pets every year.
Halloween Safety Tips for Cats
Halloween Safety Tips for CatsLet’s talk about some ways to keep your cat safe on Halloween:
Outdoor cats: Even if your cat is used to going outdoors, Halloween isn’t the best night for them to be outside. They can get really freaked out by all the people, traffic and noises. And if your cat is black, realize sick people will use them for a prank on Halloween.
So make every attempt, even if your cat complains, to keep them inside this particular day/night.
Indoor cats: Indoor cats tend to be even more frightened by lots of activity outside. I’ve lived in my apartment with my cat, Whiskers for three years and he still hides under the bed when the maintenance woman, Claudia, vacuums the hallway every Tuesday.
He tries to be brave when the lawn care guys show up to mow every week, and also when the garbage company’s huge truck comes to empty the dumpsters. He’ll usually sit right on top of me (that’s him in the picture!), or run and hide under the bed if he can’t handle it.
So make sure you’re eliminating the possibility of your indoor cat bolting out the door when trick-or-treaters arrive and the front door is being opened constantly. And maybe give them a quiet space in your home on Halloween.
Cats are usually quite sensitive to noises like the doorbell ringing, people knocking at the door, or loud music. Maybe set them up in the laundry or mud room with their bed, litter box, food, water and a favorite toy. And play soothing music quietly if you can. It’ll help keep your cat from hearing every little noise.
I’ve heard people recommend using a baby gate to keep your cat from running out the door. I personally don’t know of any cat who can’t jump over a baby gate. Are they kidding? And speaking of cats running out the door…
Make sure your cat has identification. You can go to a website called, PetTags.com and get an inexpensive tag to put on their collar with the cat’s name and your phone number. Or consider getting your cat microchipped.
If you’d like your cat to stay inside all the time, not just on Halloween, read my post, How to Keep Indoor Cats Happy. It includes a video and 10 ways to keep your indoor cat safe and happy.
Don’t let your cat get into the candy! At every holiday, including Halloween, there’s always an abundance of candy, treats and various foods that the family doesn’t eat on a regular basis. Your cat may get curious!
Things containing the sugar substitue, xylitol, is toxic to cats, as is chocolate. These are just two examples. Click here for a printable list of foods that are poisonous for cats and dogs.
If you have young children, make sure they’re putting their candy in a place where the cat can’t get it. And be careful about the bowl of candy you’re handing out to trick-or-treaters.
I had a poodle named Pepi when I was a kid who ate half a box of chocolates my boyfriend gave me for Valentine’s Day. He later went blind, had kidney failure, and passed away. Not to be dramatic, but I think it’s important for people to realize the seriousness of pets eating things they shouldn’t.
Pay attention to the Halloween decorations you’re putting out. Lit pumpkins or candles can be knocked over by cats or worse, burn the cat. Seriously, have you seen those YouTube videos where the cat’s tail catches on fire? Kinda funny. But not.
You could try using battery operated candles instead, around the house and inside carved pumpkins.
Also realize cats find decorations of any kind FUN! Just like with cat toys, you have to make sure they don’t get anything with ribbon, strings or those fake spiderwebs on Halloween decorations. Your cat could choke or have major intestinal issues if they eat that stuff.
When I first got Whiskers, he got ahold of a small piece of ribbon probably about three inches long. He ate it. HE ATE IT! I tried to get it from him, but I couldn’t catch him. I actually watched while he painstakingly forced the thing down his throat.
So weird! I was a nervous wreck until he pooped. And yes, I looked. That pink ribbon showed up in the litter box the next day. I was so relieved! Pets swallowing stuff can result in very expensive surgery, or worse.
Don’t make your cat wear a Halloween costume. Seriously. I think cat expert, Jackson Galaxy from that tv show, My Cat From Hell, explains it best in his video, Why You Should NEVER Dress Up Your Cat.
The video is hilarious, as his videos usually are. But like the cat whose tail caught on fire…kinda funny. But not.
Maybe not all cats, but MOST cats don’t like it. They’ll often panic as soon as you put the costume on them. If you’re saying, “but my cat likes it!” then definitely watch Jackson Galaxy’s video about cat Halloween costumes.
I wrote a post and did a video about the dangers of dog Halloween costumes you’ll probably find surprising. Check it out here. Costumes really aren’t a good idea for pets. And never, ever put a mask on a cat or dog.
If you also have a dog, check out my post, Halloween Safety for Dogs.
Thank You for Visiting!
Thank You for Visiting!I hope you found these tips for keeping your cat safe on Halloween helpful. Please share this post with your friends and family members who have cats!
If you make a purchase using the product links on my website, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I donate 10% of my earnings to these animal charities. Thank you! Debra
