Keep felines safe this Halloween season
The season of ghosts and goblins is here. This is a fun time for those of us with small children who are still willing to dress in costume, but it is 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 remain indoors. We are also mindful of the fact that not all caretakers of felines agree with us. Even if you do not agree with our "inside only" policy, 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 not knowing what occurred and the what ifs.
Do not give pranksters the opportunity to harm a beloved pet. If you have been feeding a black feline all summer and have been toying with the idea of keeping it inside, now is the time to act.
Even if you are not caring for an outside feline, keep one out of harm's way if you come across one. Confine any stray to a garage, spare bedroom or bathroom.
Now that the outside felines are safe, we can focus on the safety of our indoor felines.
The most obvious dangers are indoor decorations. Anyone with a feline should avoid decorative strands of lights, spider weblike cotton and any twine-like material. These are all items that will cause you to take an unexpected trip to the veterinarian if your animal ingests them.
Candy left unmonitored is another culprit. Our felines will always jump to get at what fascinates them. Candy 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 once again. Candy left on the counter of by a door that is opening and closing is an invitation to explore and ingest a deadly treat.
Lastly, an unusual amount of foot traffic and doorbell ringing will make any animal buddy anxious. Just to be safe, why not place your feline in a spare room that does not have access to the main entryway? Then you will be certain that your animal is safe and calm.
Featured felines:
• Clarice is a little black and white female that wandered into the apartment of one of our volunteers. When she came to the shelter she was very afraid of almost everyone and anything that moved. Part of that was because she is blind in her left eye.
After people worked with her for a while she became more friendly and a lot less skittish. She will still startle if you approach her quickly from her blind side, but as long as she knows you are there, she will generally be friendly, accept treats and being petted.
When the room is reasonably quiet, she will come out and play with the laser pointer light.
• Gracie is a beautiful dilute tortie. She came to Buddy when a friend of one of our volunteers passed away. She is friendly with people and sometimes a bit chatty. Although she is in one of our cat rooms and isn't aggressive, she hasn't become friendly to most of the other cats in the room.
Upcoming:
• Join The Buddy Foundation from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at Arlington Lanes, 3435 N. Kennicott Ave., in Arlington Heights, and enjoy bowling, raffles, prizes and more.
Get your pledge sheet and raise the most money and your name will be placed on a Buddy brick in front of The Buddy Foundation shelter.
Admission is $30 in advance; $35 at the door and includes two games of bowling, shoe rental, pizza, salad, dessert and soda. Cost for ages 12 and younger are $15.
To register or for more details, visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org or call (847) 290-5806.
• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit (501c3), all volunteer, no-kill animal shelter. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.