Halloween Safety Tips for Cats

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  It is fun to see all the imaginative costumes people come up with... and then, of course, there is the candy.  For our pets, Halloween can be hazardous so it is important to keep the following tips in mind.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  It is fun to see all the imaginative costumes people come up with... and then, of course, there is the candy.  For our pets, Halloween can be hazardous so it is important to keep the following tips in mind.

If you want your pet to wear a costume, choose it carefully and introduce it slowly. A simple accessory goes a long way!  I introduced Mocha's pumpkin costume slowly.  It attached loosely around his neck and chest and he would wear it for a few minuted every day.  The hat, he really never got used to, so I didn't push it.  The most important thing is to get your pet accustomed to wearing a costume well before Halloween.

So many candies that we hand out can be potentially life-threatening so keep it well out of the reach of your pet. Chocolate is especially toxic for dogs and cats.  The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has a Mobile App that could come in handy in case of an emergency.

For a Halloween treat for my cats I ordered some delicious Cat Man doo bonita tuna flakes from chewy.com  they love this all natural healthy nutritious treat!

Black Cats and Halloween: An Old Wives Tale?

Will Berkeley Humane have black cats available for adoption during the Halloween season?

Absolutely! 

FIRENZE

There is an old wives tale which cautions shelters and rescues from adopting out black cats near Halloween, due to the idea that people with evil intentions are on the hunt for black cats just to use them for ritualized abuse or sacrifice. 

However, evidence shows that this simply is not true.  

There are no confirmed statistics, court cases, or studies that support the claim that this type of serious crime is prevalent or even exists at all. Meanwhile, there are millions of black cats entering shelters every year who we know need to find homes, even in October!

DRUSILLA

Though the individual personalities and looks of these cats vary widely, solid black cats often get over looked in favor of less common coat colors. We tend to observe an even higher percentage of black cats in autumn as kitten season begins to wind down, so it is particularly important that these cats and kittens don’t miss out on any opportunities to find their new homes.  

Berkeley Humane is committed to ensure that every adopter provides the animal with a loving home. We want every pet to be well cared for, regardless of their looks or the time of year. So Berkeley Humane's adoption specialists spend considerable time with each family before they take their new pet home to ensure that they are prepared to be great pet parents.  

The way we see it, October is actually a great time to open your home and heart to a beautiful black cat, or maybe even two!

Meet some of the wonderful black cats available for adoption at Berkeley Humane on our website.

BIRDIE

Pretty Kitty Litter - It's Crystal Clear!

At first glance, kitty litter isn't something cat owners always put a lot of thought into, it sort of comes with the territory of owning an indoor cat.  There are a lot of types of litter on the market that range from clumping to non-clumping varieties. One thing I really don't like about my current litter is the dust, it is a real hassle to clean up and something I really never look forward to. I was excited to get a new type of cat litter to try out from chewy.com by Frisco simply called Crystal Cat Litter. 

There are a lot of benefits to making the switch to this dust free, multi-cat, non-clumping cat litter.  The crystals are not only shiny and pretty to look at they are ultra absorbent. I used this litter in one of five litter boxes and, after two weeks the order control was also still working well. The way these crystals work is that each one has tiny pores that lock in liquids and orders which means that the litter box stays cleaner longer.  In addition to the summer clean smell, this non-clumping litter is that it is easy on your cat's paws and is low in dust making a real plus for me.  Another plus is that one bag will last on one box for up to a month and, provide round the clock odor protection.

According to chewy.com reviews, this litter scored high getting 4.7 stars out of 5. Most all pet parents that used this brand raved about how long it lasted and the odor control this product offers.  Of course, it was noted that there is a transition period when using switching litter but most cats loved it.

Curved Cat Scratcher - Making Waves!

This month chewy.com sent me a fabulously compact cat scratcher, OurPets The Wave Curved Cat Scratcher that is in the shape of a wave.  Cat scratching is natural and intuitive for cats for a couple of reasons.  Cats love to stretch and scratching is one way they flex their bodies.  Another reason cats scratch is to remove the dead layer outer layer of their claws.  And, of course, cat scratching is a way they mark their territory, both visually and by scent.  Cats have a scent marker in their paws that send messages to other cats.

I like scratching pads because it protects my furniture and my rugs. If I find my cats are scratching my rugs in a certain place, I put the cat scratcher in that location to protect the rug and, so far this has worked remarkably well.  I think that by putting the scratching pad where my cat is scratching my rug that I am redirecting his attention to the pad to reinforce that this is an acceptable object to scratch.

I find that my cats like a variety of scratchers from tall poles to pads on the floor.  It is important to provide cats with a variety of scratching options and to provide them with a reward for doing so.  This is where the catnip comes in!  This waved curved cat scratcher has lots of tight nooks and crannies on a strong corrugated surface making it a perfect place for everyday scratching.  And, as a super reward, OurPets The Wave Curved Cat Scratcher comes with a packet of North-American grown catnip that makes this scratching pad even more rewarding.

A final perk to this curved cat scratcher is that when one side wears out, you just turn it over for another dose of fun.  Chewy is offering this pad at a 20% discount; if your order exceeds $49, shipping is free and chewy.com has tons of products to choose from.  This scratching pad is also popular with chewy customers and gets 3.8 stars out of five.  Most reviewers liked the price and quality of the scratcher although some noted it was a bit small.  The size didn't seem to bother my two rather large Tonkinese who love it!