How to keep your cat safe on Halloween

Halloween can be a lot of fun for some, but others can find it daunting and scary. The same can be said for our feline friends, so you must make sure you do your best to keep them safe from the frights and spooks that come with the monstrous night.

Costumes, sweets, and decorations are all things that can be dangerous and potentially deadly to cats so here are some tips on things to consider this Halloween.

Halloween can be a very stressful time for cats

Keep them in the house

If your cat is an outdoor cat, consider keeping them inside on Halloween so they don’t get frightened by all the goings-on outside. It’s also a good idea to keep all cats in a secure room away from the busy front door so that they’re not able to escape in fear of the evening’s activities. This will also help keep them comfortable and stress-free.

Keep sweets away from your cat

Whether you’ve got a bowl full of fruity lollipops, chocolate coins, and bags of jelly sweets, or your little monsters have come home with a bag full of loot, make sure to keep any leftovers out of your cat’s reach. If you don’t want them to feel left out while everyone’s munching away you can now usually find some Halloween-themed treats for cats in shops or online so they can join in on the fun too.

Reconsider your decorations

Stringy lights, fake webs, lit candles, glow sticks and other spooky decorations can all be dangerous to your feline friend. Decorating the outside of your house instead of your family rooms might make a safe compromise while still being able to join in on the evening’s celebrations.

Does your cat need a costume?

As cute as they may look dressed as a pretty unicorn or zombie dinosaur, costumes are more fun for us than they are for our pets. We should never sacrifice our cat’s comfort for the sake of a costume on Halloween, so make sure that any costume you do buy doesn’t restrict their movement, hearing, eyesight or their ability to drink or eat at all. And, please make sure you don’t leave your cat unsupervised in their costume.

does your cat really need to be dressed up in a Halloween costome?

Make sure they’re microchipped

Just in case your cat manages to escape on the night or doesn’t come home in the lead up to Halloween, why not get your cat microchipped? If they’re already microchipped, you’ll want to make sure your details are up-to-date. Otherwise, consider a tag with a phone number on as this can also increase the chances of you and your cat being reunited.

Need help with a stressed pet?

YuMOVE Calming Care could help your pet feel more relaxed, soothe stress and encourage calm behaviour.

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Your cat's details can be added to your policy in our Customer Hub so that you have them to hand should you ever need them. 

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Animal Friends Insurance is a multi-award winning FCA-regulated pet insurer, founded in 1998 to provide industry-leading pet insurance and first-class animal care to create a better life for every animal.
 
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