the doorbell that won't stop
To a cat, a doorbell means someone unfamiliar is about to come in. On Halloween it can ring every few minutes for hours, often followed by shrieking and a small person dressed as a skeleton.
Set up a quiet room before the first knock. Bed, water, litter tray, and somewhere to hide: a cardboard box, under the bed, the top of the wardrobe. Close the door and let them settle.
Cut down the ringing. A sign asking people to knock gently, or a bowl of sweets left outside, saves a lot of jumpy moments.
Let them hide. If they've wedged themselves behind the sofa, leave them there. Hiding is how cats cope, and dragging them out to say hello only makes it worse.
bring them in before dark
Cats Protection recommends keeping cats indoors at night through the darker autumn evenings, between the traffic, the parties and the fireworks.
Halloween adds one more risk: a front door that opens every few minutes. It's the easiest night of the year for a cat to slip out unnoticed.
Call them in and feed them before it gets dark, so they're settled inside before trick-or-treating starts. It's also a good moment to check their microchip details are up to date, just in case.
skip the costume
We know. A cat in a tiny witch's hat is very funny.
But most cats find clothing stressful, and Cats Protection warns they can injure themselves trying to wriggle free. A Halloween-themed blanket gets you the same photo with a much happier cat. Plenty of black cats are already dressed for the occasion anyway.
It's worth thinking about your costume too. Some cats are unsettled when the person they know suddenly looks and smells different. If you're going all out, put the mask on last, and not in front of them.
keep the sweet bowl out of reach
Chocolate is the big one. It contains theobromine, a stimulant cats can't break down properly, so it builds up in their system. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains, and Cats Protection's vets have warned that as little as two grams can be toxic for a cat.
Most cats aren't that interested in sweets, but they are interested in rustling wrappers, lolly sticks and anything that rolls off the table. Those can be a choking or blockage risk on their own.
Keep the sweet bowl up high or in a cupboard, and do a quick sweep for dropped wrappers at the end of the night.
If you think your cat has eaten chocolate, call your vet straight away, even if they seem fine, and keep the packaging so the vet knows what and how much.
decorations worth a second look
Fake cobwebs and string. Easy to get tangled in, and dangerous if swallowed.
Real candles in pumpkins. One curious paw or swishing tail and it's over. Battery-powered candles look just as good.
Fairy lights. Tidy the wires away, especially if you have a chewer.
Glow sticks. Cats seem to love biting them. The liquid inside tastes very bitter and can cause dramatic drooling and foaming at the mouth. It's frightening to see but rarely serious. Keep them out of reach anyway, and call your vet if you're worried.
if you're away for Halloween
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so plenty of people will be at a party, or away for the weekend.
If someone else is minding your cat, make sure they know:
what time your cat comes in, and to keep them in after dark
where they hide when they're stressed, so nobody panics when they can't be found
whether your cat is a door dasher
to keep sweets and decorations well out of reach
This is exactly what cat profiles on nestr are for. Every cat is different, so there's room for all of it: the hiding spot behind the washing machine, the 5pm dinner demand, the habit of bolting the second the door opens. And with photo updates at every visit, you can see they're home, fed and settled without having to chase anyone.
next up: Bonfire Night
Halloween is only the warm-up. Five days later the fireworks start, and they can carry on for weeks. Our fireworks guide covers how to get your cat through it.
Happy Halloween from us, and from every cat currently refusing to come out from under the bed.
cat sitting, done differently