Happy Halloween from Hilly, the clinic cat!!!!

   Happy Halloween! It’s me, Hillshire the clinic cat, and I thought I’d take a moment to talk to all of you about some of the creepy stuff that happens on October 31^st each year.

  It’s the spookiest night of the year and I really don’t understand what all the hub bub is about. The team puts on funny clothes and eats more food than usual. They play “It’s the great pumpkin Charlie Brown” way too many times for the boarding pets. Worst of all, they round me up and put me into a ridiculous outfit and take pictures….it’s downright embarrassing!(See the picture above…not my idea!!!) I see other pets come to visit the hospital who have been put into silly outfits too…..It’s just scary!!

  Apparently, Halloween can be a pretty dangerous day for pets. I heard them talking about it to our visitors today…Here’s what I heard Rebecca telling the pet parents:

1. No treats: That bowl of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Hilly and his friends (Oh darn, I can’t believe she is going to hide the candy!). Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause big problems. Xylitol is in a lot of sugar free candy and gum, but I don’t chew gum cause it gets stuck in my whiskers anyway. Don’t forget the wrappers either! If your furry kid is anything like me, they will want to taste the wrappers a little…don’t do it friends! The wrappers are bad for you too! If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please give us a call right away or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. I hate to wear costumes!!!(So, quit it ladies!)  You may love a pet in costume, but your pet may feel differently. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams like my friend, Duncan, Dr. Parrott’s dog). Make sure it is ultra comfy and doesn’t restrict movement or have tasty, dangly parts. If your pet seems stressed by the costume, remove it for their own safety. Most pets, like me prefer to go au naturale. I have offered to consider a festive bandana.

3. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept inside in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. All the strangers dressed up as creepy things and jumping around and stuff is down right scary and stressful.  Those creepy kids running around everywhere making noise might make you pet want to run away and hide. I checked last year and none of those little pails they carry have Fancy Feast in them anyway. Too many strangers can overwhelm a pet and cause them to be unusually protective or fearful. I am super glad I will be hidden safely away here at the kennel.

4. Although tempting, do not bring your pet along for trick-or-treating. Even the best-trained dogs can become spooked or aggressive in the noise and confusion of Halloween. Children you encounter may also be fearful of dogs. I know you want to show off those little outfits, but save it for Facebook folks. Please don’t make your pet go out in public like that…

Notes from Rebecca:
Hilly got most of it right…although he is a little dramatic about the whole costume thing. He looked adorable!!!

*     IDs, please! Each time you open the door for a trick-or-treater, your pet could escape.  It is another great reason to have them safely confined in a back room with no chance to zip out of a front door. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver, increasing the chances that he or she will be returned to you. If you haven't done so already, make sure your pet’s microchip info is up to date, too! If your pet does escape from the house or becomes lost, a microchip and a collar with id tags will increase the chances that they will be returned home again.

*     During the week of Halloween, calls to the veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline increase by 12 percent, making it the call center’s busiest time of year.   “Each year we experience a sharp increase in calls around Halloween, especially during the weekends surrounding the holiday,” said Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, assistant director at Pet Poison Helpline. Remember to keep all the treats out of your pet’s reach.

*     Keep your pets inside on Halloween. If you have an outdoor cat (particularly a black cat), make sure to keep them indoors for several days around Halloween to minimize the risk from pranks or other cruelty-related incidents.

Last, but certainly not least, if your pet is a ham and likes to dress up, Please post a photo of them in their cute little outfit on our Facebook page so we can share the cuteness too! If your pet drops by to visit us in their costume, we will trim their toe nails for free!  We like showing off their pictures…and showing them to Hilly when we tell him he isn’t the only pet who has to dress up! Happy Halloween!!!!!!!