Keeping Your Kitty Safe at Halloween

Articles

Cat - Halloween

Keeping Your Kitty Safe at Halloween

Protect your cat from the Halloween traditions that aren't kind to felines.

For cat lovers, Halloween can pose real dangers to your pet. Chocolate poisoning, blocked or perforated intestines from wrappers and burns caused by carelessly situated jack-o'-lanterns are common hazards. The stress of the holiday can also take its toll on your cat.

Keeping your cat indoors and supervised at Halloween is the safest solution for protecting your cat, and the solution most veterinarians and animal experts highly recommend.

Behind Closed Doors

Unfortunately, the Halloween activities many of us love can prove perilous to felines. Whether you're greeting children at the door or hosting an adult party, the influx of people into your home can be a cause of stress for your cat. And, all the activity at the door allows a resourceful feline the opportunity to explore the fun outdoors.

What to Do?

Set up a special area for your cat, in a bedroom or other space, off-limits to guests and trick-or-treaters. Provide your pet with a blanket, food, water and favorite toys, then close the door and let her spend Halloween in peace and safety. Also, take these additional precautions:

Escape-proofing: In case someone inadvertently opens the door to your cat's "safe-room," make sure your pet is wearing a collar with an ID tag. A glow-in-the-dark collar and tag are ideal. They will help you spot her more quickly if she does slip out, and they will make her more visible to motorists.
Wrapping It Up: Are you renowned for the homemade popcorn balls you hand out to trick-or-treaters? If you lovingly wrap each treat in plastic or tin foil, be careful. If ingested, these wrappings can block your pet's stomach, creating a life-threatening situation. Make sure you do all your wrapping in a single room. Close the door to keep your pet out of your workspace, and clean up immediately afterward.
Decorator Blues: Many families consider Halloween a major "decorating" holiday. If you string plastic or glass ornaments, take care. Cats sometimes ingest the shards of broken ornaments, and these shards can puncture an intestinal wall. Vacuum or sweep floors immediately after decorating to avoid this potential hazard.
Burning the Candle: You love reveling in a candle's glow, but remember - cats find them fascinating, too. A careless swipe of the tail, the pat of a curious paw or a nose that gets too close can result in singed fur, whiskers, eyebrows, or a more serious burn. Make sure to place candles and jack-o'-lanterns well out of your cat's reach.
False Steps and Starts: Poisons threaten cats no matter what the season might be, but Halloween proves a particularly dangerous time. Outdoors, your cat can become the butt of a Halloween "prank," but even indoor cats can suffer. If you're giving the place a good cleaning for your holiday party, make sure your cat doesn't get into the bleach or other supplies. Remember, whatever she walks through will end up in her stomach as she licks the contaminant from her paws.
Chocolate Madness: At Halloween, many well-intentioned youngsters share their goodies with their cats. Unfortunately, chocolate contains an ingredient that can diminish the blood flow to the brain and cause heart attacks and a variety of other life-threatening problems for cats. As a rule, the darker the chocolate, the more lethal it is. Just one square or less (1/2 to 1 ounce) of dark or baking chocolate can be toxic. Keep chocolate and all candy away from your cat and advise children and other household members not to offer it as a treat.

What to Do In Case of...

Burns: Douse the affected area with cold water, apply a cool compress and contact your veterinarian.
Stomach Blockages and Perforated Intestines: You may not notice these conditions immediately. Rather, a day or two after your cat ingests a harmful object, you'll see a change in eating, defecation and urination habits. If you notice a string protruding from your cat's mouth or anus, do not remove it. Your attempt to do so may further injure the cat's intestines. In either situation, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Poisoning or Chocolate Toxicity: Your cat may grow supersensitive to stimuli such as light, noise and sound, or her pupils may dilate. Other symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, muscle tremors, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity or difficulty breathing. She may drool excessively or urinate more frequently, and she may go into a coma. In any case, contact your veterinarian or the National Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 4-ANIHELP immediately. Collect a sample of the substance consumed, as well as any vomit or feces expelled, as you will need to take these with you to the veterinarian's office.

By following these simple guidelines, you and your pet will enjoy this fun time of the year without any scares of the unwelcome kind.