Haunted houses. Scary costumes. Grinning pumpkins. Spider webs. The horrors of Halloween are merely make-believe for us humans, but for our feline friends the danger is very real.  Read on for some helpful tips on how to keep your cat safe this holiday season!

Safeguard the candy: Unguarded candy poses the biggest threat to your cat. Make sure all candy is stored in a safe place where your cat can’t get to it. Dogs are at greater risk when it comes to the dangers of chocolate because cats are content to merely taste while dogs will chow down on an entire bag of Snickers bars and Hershey’s Kisses before you have time to even realize what’s happening. Even so, it’s still a good idea to keep chocolate under wraps in case your cat has a sweet tooth!

Another threat luring in that trick or treat bag is the artificial sweetener Xylitol, which can be fatal to cats even in very small quantities. Because Xylitol is a sweetener that prevents tooth decay, it’s most commonly found in sugar-free gums and mints. But because of its minimal effect on human blood sugar levels, it’s also used in chocolates and a number of products designed for diabetics or dieters. Unlike chocolate, which is likely to make your cat sick, Xylitol toxicity is life threatening.

Keep your cat indoors for the evening: Felines face special dangers during Halloween. Cats, especially black ones, might be “borrowed” to provide atmosphere at someone’s haunted house or holiday party, or even worse, become the victims of a Halloween prank.

Remove costumes as soon as the photos have been taken: Make sure to limit the amount of time your cat spends in his or her costume, and after the photos have been taken do your feline friend a huge favor and take off the costume. Chances are, they were just humoring you and didn’t actually like wearing that wicked witch hat and wig.