Black cats and Halloween are linked in folklore, but the real story is about safety. Every year, superstitions and holiday chaos put black cats at extra risk. Here is the truth behind the myths, plus practical ways to keep your black cat safe and happy all season long. I adopted Sam in late September, which … Read more
Why do cats bolt out the door on Halloween? If you share your home with a feline escape artist, you already know the answer can be terrifyingly fast. Every October, the combination of open doors, costumes, and candy runs creates the perfect storm for a cat to bolt out the door on Halloween night. Here … Read more
Throwing a Halloween party with cats is doable — here is how I learned to do it right. I love Halloween parties. I also love my cats. For three years, I tried to love both at the same time in the same room, and it went badly more than once. The first year, Sam spent … Read more
When a cat ate Halloween candy in my house, I learned the panic firsthand. It was 9:40 PM on October 30th. I was loading the candy bowl for tomorrow night — a mix of chocolate bars, fruit chews, and a few sugar-free options for the neighbors who’d asked. I turned around for exactly one minute … Read more
Catnip and Halloween enrichment ideas are a great way to keep indoor cats happy and entertained during the spooky season. Every year, I see the same Halloween scene in cat owner groups: someone buys an adorable catnip-stuffed pumpkin, their cat goes absolutely bonkers for two days, and then the toy sits untouched for the rest … Read more
Pumpkin carving with cats is my favorite fall tradition, and this year I learned exactly how to keep it safe. It’s also, apparently, the activity my cats find most fascinating. The second I pull out a carving knife and a fresh pumpkin, Miso appears from nowhere, tail high, eyes locked on the pumpkin like it’s … Read more
Every year around mid-October, the stores fill up with the cutest Halloween cat toys: plush bats, witch hats, little pumpkins on wands. And every year, I buy three of them, bring them home, and watch Miso sniff them once before walking away like they personally insulted him. I’m convinced most Halloween cat toys are designed … Read more
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
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