Pet Chatter

(Pet Chatter is a new Endeavor News column by Lori Hansen, a lifelong pet companion and animal lover and activist. Suggestions for future columns can be sent to design@zitomedia.net.)

Welcome to the first "Pet Chatter" column.

From time to time, I'll be here to bring you timely news and information from the animal kingdom and celebrate our furry (or not-so-furry) little family members.

Pets have become a huge part of many families. An estimated 62 percent of households in the U.S. have at least one pet.

With the Halloween season quickly approaching, it's important to protect your pet. Even pets that are normally calm and accepting can become frightened when confronted with all of the strange sights and sounds of the holiday.

Take a look at Halloween from your pets' point of view:

People in costumes - Strangers showing up at your house in costumes are scary enough, but costumes can also turn people your pet knows into strangers. Dogs may react with fear or even aggression. Cats will typically become stressed and even panicky. The safest place for your pet during trick or treat or costume parties is in a calm area of the house, preferably in a closed room. If you're handing out candy, the door will be opened many times, so be sure your pets are secured and cannot escape.

Pets in costumes - First, make sure your pet is comfortable and can see without obstruction. Check for hanging pieces that could become entangled when the pet walks. Keep your pet with you. A loose pet could panic and the costume could become entangled on anything from a fence to a bush.

Loud noises - Halloween comes with plenty of noises. Children may be laughing or screaming and that's scary to a pet. Loud noises will bring unnecessary stress, so it's best to keep pets in a quiet area of the house.

Candy - Keep candy in a safe place away from dogs and cats. Some candy is actually toxic to pets and an ingested candy wrapper can lead to costly surgery or the death of your pet.

Jack 'o Lanterns - Beware of cats or dogs getting close to flames (especially if they're wearing a costume) or knocking them over.

Lastly, protect your animals from "tricks." Pets often react to teasing with a fight-or-flight response. If the flight response takes over, there's no telling where your pet might wind up. Identification tags or microchipping is the best way to ensure your pet's return.

While animal abuse can happen anytime, it happens far too often around Halloween. Be particularly cautious with free-roaming animals, especially black cats. Many animal shelters will not even adopt out black cats around this time of year for fear of the animal being misused. Also keep an eye on livestock, as sometimes those meaning harm to animals will chose whatever animal is available, even a large, pastured animal.

October is National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. You still have a few days left!