We wish everyone a
safe, happy and fun Halloween! And for extra enjoyment, here’s the “Halloween”
portion of the “Holiday Fun (& Danger) chapter in The World Is Your Litter Box Deluxe Edition…
Halloween:
Another holiday fraught with both fun and danger. Halloween is a time
when little humans, and some big ones, dress up in strange costumes, some of
which are pretty scary. Usually, the little ones will go out trick-or-treating
(whatever that is) and come home with bags full of teeth-rotting candy. This
will provide you with a fine new source of diversion as you investigate the bag
and remove anything that looks interesting... or edible. Another fun thing
about Halloween is the pumpkins, which are carved up by humans to have scary or
comical faces. When I was a kitten, I quite enjoyed climbing inside pumpkins
for a look-see. However, with my massive expanse, I can no longer do so (oh the
curse of aging). Also, if you are a black cat, this holiday’s for you. For some
reason, many humans consider it bad luck if a black cat walks in front of them.
So if you are of the ebony persuasion, you can have extra fun by bedeviling
those who are blatantly superstitious.
Now, on the danger side, there are a couple things to watch
out for. First, there=s
the scariness aspect. Halloween is a time when humans like to frighten each
other by making scary sounds, watching scary movies, and wearing horrifying
things such as zombie masks. To a cat, needless to say, some of these things
are hair-raising to the nth degree. Therefore, it’s often best to find a good
place to hide and stay out of your human=s
way until their sanity returns. Also, if you are an outdoor cat, stay inside
after dark. At night, dozens of humans are out on the street, trick-or-treating
and acting especially goofy. Some teenage male humans see Halloween as a time
to pull off pranks such as toilet papering their girlfriends’ homes, which is
actually quite delightful. However, some of their antics are much more
dangerous and sinister. As with the Fourth of July, there are some heartless,
misguided humans who will torment cats for their own amusement. Off with their
heads!
Note #1: Investigate bags of trick-or-treat candy all
you want, but don’t eat too much. In large quantities, candy will cause tooth
decay and make you sick, possibly necessitating a trip to the vet (talk about
scary!).
Note #2: Some humans put candles inside their pumpkins
and light them. If you are a kitten, or small enough to investigate the inside
of a pumpkin, make sure the candle is out before you go in. Even though
flickering flames are
attractive and interesting, they will burn you if you get too close. Ouch!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!