Halloween can be a traumatic and even dangerous time for your pets. The ASPCA would like to offer some common-sense tips to help you protect them: Don't leave your pets out in the yard on Halloween: there are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, even killed pets on this night. Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets: chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned. Don't dress the dog in costume unless you know he loves it. Otherwise, it puts a lot of stress on the animal. If you do dress up your dog, make sure the costume isn't constricting, annoying or unsafe. Be careful not to obstruct his or her vision; even the sweetest dogs can get snappy when they can't see what's going on around them. All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours; too many strangers in strange garb can be scary for a dog. Be careful your cat or dog doesn't dart out through an open door. While this can be a fun time for people and pets alike, remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the more dangerous goblins and ghouls that this holiday brings.

The ghoulish Halloween holiday is always a favorite with kids, but the sight of hordes of costumed children can be positively frightening for your family pet. Most pets are uneasy with new situations and people, and a night of doorbell-ringing and groups of strangers screaming of "trick or treat" will leave the average pooch confused and frightened. This could translate into pets running out of open doors and becoming lost, or even biting an unsuspecting trick-or-treater. The kindest and safest thing you can do for everyone is to allow your dogs to remain in the comfort of a quiet part of your house. In addition to the fear factor, Halloween also poses other threats to pets: Candles: Any decorations using candles such as jack-o-lanterns can be a hazard to curious pets. Don't depend on being able to supervise your pup around an open flame. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, leaving your dog with a singed nose, burned tail or serious burns. An overturned candle may even spark a larger conflagration in your home. Play it safe: if you can't keep all flames out of your pets' reach, avoid using them. Candy: Your children's holiday booty can be deadly to your pets. Not only is chocolate toxic to pets, but other holiday treats cause choking or dangerous digestive tract blockages. Make sure your little ghosts and ghouls understand that all candy bags must be put away in a drawer or other inaccessible place, and wrappers need to be thrown away in trash can with a secure cover that your dog cannot open. Decorations: Dogs have a tendency to chew on just about anything. Keep streamers, silly string and other party favors out of reach of the family pooch. Electric Decorations: Chewing on cords often looks like fun to a rambunctious dog or puppy, but it can literally be a shocking experience. Ensure that all cords are inaccessible to your dog or puppy. Doggie Costumes: Avoid the urge to dress your pup up in Halloween garb. Ties and elastics can cause strangulation. Dogs are also apt to view elastic straps as a tasty treat. Masks and hats are frustrating for the majority of dogs, especially those who have not been exposed to them during the rest of the year. By incorporating these simple tips into your Halloween plans, all the members of your family - even the furry ones - should have a Happy Halloween.

From About Dogs

While October may be the favorite month of thousands of humans, who excitedly plan their costumes of spooks, vampires and monsters, in anticipation of Halloween, cats, particularly black cats, have little cause for celebration of this month.  Indeed, if left outdoors, these innocents are subject to meeting monsters of a different kind: sadistic humans who would love nothing better than to get their hands on a black cat for a ritualistic sacrifice. Sadly, every year at this times, we hear more and more stories about cats being victimized in such a manner. The perpetrators of these obscene crimes range from free-roaming gangs of youths, caught up in pseudo-Satanism, and eager to dabble in the occult, to serious adult practitioners of the "black arts." Regardless of the source, the pain and suffering of the victim is equally horrendous. The threat to black cats on Halloween has become so prevalent that many shelters and human societies refuse to allow adoption of black cats during the entire month of October. Lacking this previously easy source of victims, Satanists and other sadists look to the streets for their sacrificial cats. Black Cats Black cats have taken a bad rap throughout history. Greek mythology taught that a woman named Galenthias was turned into a cat and became a priestess at the temple of Hecate, the "Dark Mother," and sometimes known as the Mother of Witchcraft. During the 12th and 13th century, witches in Europe were often found with their "familiars," usually black cats, and were said to turn themselves into cats at times. During the witch-burning era of the 17th century, witches' cats were put into baskets and burned alongside the witches. Even in the 21st century, old superstitions have survived. In many European countries and in the U.S., black cats signify bad luck, while in England, your luck is said to turn good if a black cat crosses your path. Keep Them Indoors For the reasons cited above, it is best to keep all cats indoors during the month of October, regardless of their color, but especially if they happen to be black. Even though there may be no cultists in your neighborhood or community, the sheer numbers of people out and about on Halloween, along with increased vehicular traffic make the outdoors a frightening and unsafe place for small furry creatures. In addition, on Halloween night and the weekend before, you'll be wise to keep your cats locked inside an interior room in the house, lest they panic and slip out when hobgoblins come to your door. Enjoy your holiday while saving your kitty from unnecessary stress. Happy Halloween!

Black Cat Month The Perils of Halloween

From About Cats

From the ASPCA

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S. OFFERS TIPS TO KEEP PETS SAFE FROM HALLOWEEN TRICKS AND TREATS WASHINGTON (October 16, 2001) - The Humane Society of the Unites States (HSUS) wants to remind people with companion animals that Halloween can literally be a frightening holiday for pets. While adults and children alike enjoy the costumes and candy, these things can actually distress or endanger a companion animal. Nancy Peterson, HSUS companion animals issues specialists, cautions, "Dogs and cats rely on daily routine. When that routine is disrupted by lots of noise and commotion, like trick-or-treaters ringing the doorbell or lots of strange people in strange clothes in their house, they can become frightened or agitated. It's best to keep pets at a safe distance from the festivities." To help people keep their pets safe at Halloween, The HSUS recommends taking these precautions: � Keep pets safely inside, away from trick-or-treaters and other Halloween activities. This will ensure that pets won't become frightened or feel threatened at the sight of costumed children. Cats, especially black ones, may be the target of pranksters. In addition, frequently opened doors provide a perfect opportunity for escape, which can go unnoticed during all of the commotion. Be sure all pets are wearing collars with ID tags in case of accidental escape. [If you are opening and closing the door for trick-or-treaters, you might want to put your cats or dogs in a closed room so they don't run out.] � Keep candy safely out of your pet's reach. Candy can be harmful to pets and chocolate is toxic to cats, dogs, and ferrets. � Keep pets away from decorations. Flames in jack-o-lanterns and candles can quickly singe, burn or set fire to a pet's fur. Pets can become tangled in hanging decorations like streamers and can choke on some decorations if they chew on them. � Resist the urge to put your furry friend in costume. Most pets dislike the confinement of costumes and masks, and flowing capes can cause injuries to a pet if they get caught on something. � Don't bring the family dog along for trick-or-treating. Dogs may become difficult to handle during the noise and confusion of the festivities. A lost dog or dog bite will quickly end your Halloween fun. The HSUS also cautions animal shelters not to adopt out black cats during the Halloween season. Unfortunately, during Halloween black cats are the targets of pranks, mischief, or worse-that can put cats at a high risk of being harmed. People with black cats should be extra careful about keeping their cats safe during this time. "Keep your pet safe in an enclosed area with a toy and safe music," adds Peterson. "Resist the urge to include your pet in your Halloween activities, and everyone can enjoy the holiday."

I hope that everyone enjoys the Holiday, but please keep your pets safe.  Below are some tips that you may want to read to ensure that your pets are safe around Halloween. Jamie PTI

From the Humane Society of the United States

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URGENT: Halloween Alert For Animals/10-23-01 From:   [email protected] Can you help our feline friends this Halloween? Please check your email alerts, check your local newspaper, check your local feed store (Petsmart, Petco) for "looking for good home" ads for kittens, cats & puppies all this week. Please take time to email them the message below or call them & warn them about the horrors of cat sacrifices. Many people are totally unaware of these vile practices. By warning them, we might be able to stop some of these little creatures from experiencing a long agonizing & terrifying death. During Halloween, occult groups participate in sacrificial rituals; unfortunately, cats & sometimes dogs are often the victims of these unsanctioned events. Cult members may take the cat from its owner's property, and, in some cases, return the remains to instill fear. Halloween is one of the blood-ritual holidays when animals are sacrificed; there is a lot of cat theft at this time of year. The three-day period from Oct 30 through Nov 1 is also a time when those people practicing more ominous occult customs may target cats or other animals for sacrificial rites. Although one might think only black cats are sacrificed, white cats, the symbol of purity & innocence, are targets as well. To keep cats safe during Halloween, many animal shelters have a moratorium on adoptions of black, white, or other solid-color cats. All cats, kittens & dogs are targets for Cult members. Do not adopt out any animals during the week of Halloween & the day after, November 1st. Make Halloween safe for your feline family members. If you ordinarily let your cat outside, consider keeping her indoors from Oct 30 through Nov 1. If your city or town designates another night for trick-or-treating, keep your cat indoors at that time, too. Opening the door for costumed children provides opportunities for a cat to escape, so keep your cat confined while you give out treats. Please crosspost. Excerpts from http://www.pets.msn.com/cats/catarticles