Summer has come and gone and now it’s officially the Fall season. The air is starting to get crisp and cool once more, and one of my favorite holidays is fast approaching, that being Halloween.
Halloween, that time of year where people can dress up in costumes and isn’t just a “holiday” for kids to have fun, but a time where no matter what one’s age is, we can let our “adult” selves let go and act silly. We can dress up as a superhero, a person from history such as Cleopatra, we can dress up as a character from Lord Of The Rings, or become a favorite Disney character, and needless to say, attire ourselves as a witch, which consequently is still one of the most popular Halloween costumes to wear.
There is however, a very negative down side to Halloween and not just on October 31st, but for the whole month of October. The month of October is perhaps the worst month of the year for cats, particularly black cats. As an animal activist, not one day goes by when I hear of outright animal abuse throughout the year for sadly there are all too many people that are cat haters. Antagonisms toward cats aren’t limited to outright animal abusers, but a seeming hatred toward cats and rather “sick” suggestions are made even by the media. For instance, on March 14, 2013, Ted Williams, a guest writer for the Orlando Sentinel suggested to rid the feral and stray cat population by “lacing” pet food with Tylenol. (1) Some states in the USA are suggesting bills to be passed to change the status of feral and stray cats to “wildlife” so that it would be no longer considered illegal to hunt and kill cats. The latest is a landlord in Missouri requesting tenants to leave bowls of antifreeze out to poison cats. (2)
Now to get back to Halloween which may be fun for us, but not for cats. Did you know that reputable pet rescuers and animal shelters will not adopt out black cats during the whole month of October and in my opinion rightly so. Hatred and abuse of cats, especially black cats, intensifies during the month of October and all cats can be targets for sick, demented people with ill intent, and not just limited to feral or stray cats, but people’s pets who are allowed to “roam” freely by their owners. During the month of October, cats are more likely to be stolen as bait for dog fights, brutalized, abused, tortured and killed by sick demented people.
So here’s an urgent plea on my part. If you’re the type of person who allows their pet cat to “roam” no matter what color your pet cat is, but especially if your pet cat(s) are black cats, during the entire month of October, please, please, please KEEP THEM INDOORS!!
Sources:
(1). Outcry about Ted Williams article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130320-feral-cats-euthanize-ted-williams-audubon-science/
(2). Anti-freeze threat to kill cats:
http://news.alleycat.org/2014/09/23/cats-threatened-by-antifreeze-notice-in-missouri/
Image Source
http://animals.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/2658/
1 comment:
As the owner or ownee of a black cat, I can testify that they are truly beautiful and loving creatures. The thought of someone wishing death on a cat, black or otherwise, with the excruciating deaths caused by the poisons, you listed is horrific!
Thank you for taking a stand against cruelty and making a crusade to save cats and their owners from unnecessary pain a d grief. Elaine
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