People in the South West urged to consider the long-term impact of adopting black cats for Halloween.
There are concerns people aren't prepared for the responsibility of caring for them.
People in the South West and across the UK are being urged to look after their cats this Halloween.
There are often more requests to adopt black cats at this time of year as part of the spooky festivities.
However, there are concerns people aren’t prepared for the long-term responsibilities of caring for an animal.
Gemma Nethersole from Cats Protection says they have to take extra care when rehoming them.
“We are always really wary of people trying to adopt when they haven’t thought through the long term impact of welcoming a cat into their life.
“Our volunteers and staff are therefore extremely experienced at matching cats and owners, and the process is robust enough to highlight when people might be attempting to adopt without careful consideration for the cat’s future.
“We also have a series of follow-up calls with owners to ensure both cat and owner are happy throughout the adoption process.”
There can also be more risks to cats during Halloween from the types decorations.
Gemma Nethersole said:
“House decorations can be dangerous to cats. For example, flickering candles in carved pumpkins can be fascinating to cats so artificial candles are much safer.
“Equally, trailing cobwebs, leads for decorative lights or Hallowe’en baubles should all be kept out of cats’ reach so they don’t get tangled or try to chew or swallow them.”
Gemma added:
“Don’t dress your cat up as it restricts their natural behaviours and causes unnecessary stress.”
Cats Protection is asking anyone who sees somebody behaving suspiciously around cats to note down as many details as possible and call the police on 101, or report it directly to the RSPCA.