Keep black felines safe from abuse this Halloween season

The season of ghosts and goblins has arrived. This is a fun, delightful time for those of us with small children who are still willing to dress in costume with the hope that the right costume will garner more treats. It is also fun for those of us who like to decorate our houses seasonally. Unfortunately, it is also a time of terror for our feline friends — especially the black ones.

Halloween seems to be a time when youngsters and teens (without good adult role models to follow) let their frustrations out on felines and abuse them. Please, consider this an appeal to anyone who is a caretaker of an outside/inside feline to keep it indoors.

The Buddy Foundation has a strict policy of requiring our felines to be INSIDE only! Even if you do not agree with the safety police for our felines, please, have the common sense to keep your animal inside this trick-or-treat season. Imagine the horror you would feel if your feline did not come home for several days, came home injured or never came home again.

Imagine the waiting, the worry, the not knowing what occurred and the what ifs. You also need to be made keenly aware that dangers lurk daily, year-round for our felines from obvious accidents and from people who just do not respect animal life the way we do.

Do not give pranksters the opportunity to harm a beloved pet. If you have been feeding a black feline all summer and have been contemplating the idea of providing a permanent home, the time to act is now. Just bring the cat inside and save a life.

Even if you are not caring for an outside feline, keep it out of harm’s way if you encounter a cat. Offer your home as a safe haven. You will be saving one more feline from torment. Consider this plea a “catcall” for all outside felines to remain indoors during this unsafe time and for always.

Even our inside felines need extra care during this Halloween season.

The most obvious dangers are indoor decorations. Perhaps you should consider skipping it. Our feline friends seem to be able to reach decorations regardless of where we place the decor due to their skillful, agile jumping ability.

Also, anyone with a feline should avoid decorative strands of lights, spider weblike cotton and any twine-line material. These are just a few of the items that will pique feline interest and will most certainly cause you to make an emergency trip to the animal hospital after your animal ingests them.

Candy left unmonitored is another culprit, plus the additional danger of the wrapper or packaging. Our felines will always find what fascinates them. Candy and treats should be kept in a cabinet that closes securely until the tricksters arrive. If there is a lull in traffic at the door, secure the candy away again. Candy left on the counter or by a door that is opening and closing is an invitation for a cat to ingest a deadly treat.

Last, an unusual amount of noise, foot traffic and doorbell ringing will make any animal buddy anxious. Why not opt for safety first and place your pet in a spare room that does not have access to the main entryway?

You animal will be safe and hopefully will not become emotionally unhinged. Good luck and safe treating to all.

Featured felines

Sutton is a beautiful, brown tabby that is 8 years young. She lost what she thought was her forever home when she was placed in a kill shelter. That director found her too sweet to euthanize, so they called Buddy to see if we could make room for her so that she might at least have a chance of winning over a new family. Sutton can be seen in one of our multiple cat rooms. She does like feline company.

Hardy, a black and white Maine coon mix, is quite the handsome boy. He is about 2 years old and likes other felines. He was being fostered as a baby with his littermates when he received what we thought was his forever home, but Hardy was returned to us. He committed the sin of growing too big and becoming an adult-size feline. In fact, his previous owner took such lousy care of him, his hair was totally tangled. We solved the problem by shaving some of his fur and giving him a fancy lion cut. Hardy was also declawed by his previous owner.

Ÿ The Buddy Foundation is a nonprofit (501c3), all volunteer, no-kill animal shelter dedicated to the welfare of stray, abused and abandoned cats and dogs. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit thebuddyfoundation.org.