Emily Carter 
Every fall, the same question pops up in cat owner groups: can cats eat pumpkin? Last October, with pumpkins everywhere and my sensitive-stomach cat Tofu having one of his “I’m not eating that” weeks, I decided to find out for real. Not by Googling one article and nodding — but by reading the science, talking … Read more
Halloween is the night I love most as a human and dread most as a cat owner. The candy, the decorations, the constant doorbell, the strangers in masks — it’s a sensory assault designed to be fun for people and deeply confusing for cats. I’ve now survived enough Halloweens with Miso, Tofu, and Sam to … Read more
These DIY Halloween cat treats started because my senior cat Sam is a certified food snob. For months, I bought premium treats, fancy brands, and freeze-dried everything, and he gave each one the same look: sniff, turn, walk away. Meanwhile the vet bill kept coming and my wallet kept shrinking. The solution turned out to … Read more
Some Halloween foods toxic to cats sit right on our coffee tables, and I learned that the hard way. I have a confession that still makes my stomach drop: my orange tabby Miso once ate chocolate. Not a nibble, either. I had left a bar on the coffee table while I ran to the bathroom, … Read more
Can cats wear Halloween costumes? The first time I tried, my mischievous orange tabby Miso froze—instantly. Not “cute and stunned” frozen. I mean statuesque, motionless, backwards-walking, suddenly-leaping frozen. The shirt was a tiny witch cloak, perfectly sized, absolutely adorable. Miso disagreed. He stood rigid in the middle of the living room, refused to walk, and … Read more
Halloween proof your home for cats room by room, and start with the room where accidents happen first. Miso, my orange tabby, has two hobbies: playing with anything that dangles and destroying anything that costs money. Last year he chewed through a phone charger, a set of earbuds, and one very expensive Ethernet cable. Then … Read more
Halloween stresses your cat in ways most owners never notice. Tofu, my gray tabby, is not afraid of much. He supervises vacuuming, debates the mailman through the window, and once stared down a golden retriever. But every Halloween, he turns into a ghost. The first year, I did not understand it. The doorbell rang, costumed … Read more
When it comes to Halloween cat safety, I learned the hard way that even the calmest cat can panic. Sam is my senior cat, a picky eater, calm for eleven months of the year. Then October arrives, the doorbell starts singing every twenty minutes, costumed children shout on the porch, and Sam becomes a disappearing … Read more
When I finally stopped grabbing random grooming tools and learned how to pick the best cat brushes for my cat’s coat, everything changed. I used to vacuum twice a day, lint-roll my clothes before leaving the house, and find fur in my coffee. Tofu is a gray tabby with opinions, more energy than sense, and … Read more
Miso is a ten-month-old orange tabby, a ball of energy with the attention span of a hummingbird and the destructive ambition of a home renovator. Last month he unrolled an entire toilet paper tube, chewed through a phone charging cable, and somehow opened the cabinet under the sink. I loved him. I also wanted eight … Read more