www.roanoke.com

Things will get a little spooky tomorrow night. Here's this week's Happy Wag column on keeping your critters safe and happy:

Halloween approaches with scary creatures, crazy costumes and little beggars pounding on your door. While people may enjoy the rituals of All Hallow's Eve, the event has to be confusing if not downright frightening to pets.

Based on tips from the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and input from Taylor Gillispie, the animal behaviorist at the Roanoke Valley SPCA, here are some suggestions to keep your pets safe and happy when the spooking starts:

Costumes on pets: Some pets love getting dressed up, some absolutely hate it. It took our puppy, Stormy, only minutes to wiggle out of a holiday bandana I tied around his neck. Many critters, including all of mine, prefer to be au natural.

"Costumes are not ideal for every pet," Gillispie said. If you happen to have a kitty or dog that tolerates, or even enjoys, playing dress up, make sure the costume isn't restrictive, allows for unobstructed peripheral vision and won't cause the animal to trip or fall.

Gillispie said dressed-up pets should always be supervised and suggests to owners, for the pet's comfort and peace of mind: "Put the costume on, snap the picture and then take it off."

Costumes on people: Generally speaking, my pets are wary of creatures they don't recognize. Sometimes they even attack: My 13-pound cat chased my 75-pound dog through the house once because I put felt reindeer antlers on the dog's head. The pursuit ended when I snatched the tiny disguise off the whining dog, returning him to a visage the cat recognized as non-threatening.

The point is that having their home invaded by masked strangers could freak out Fluffy and Fido.

"Animals with abuse in their past can be especially afraid," Gillispie said, adding that cats can be particularly fearful. So, if you are hosting a party or dressing up to work the door, you should keep your pets in a separate room.

Open door policy: Remember that your pets are not likely to appreciate the parade of trick-or-treaters on your porch, and the little pirates, princesses, Hulks and Hannah Montanas will probably not enjoy your dog barking at them when they come to collect their candy. Keep your pets away from the front door to keep everyone's stress level under control and to prevent your pets from darting outside.

Keep the treats out of reach: My dogs are professional beggars. They have the "I'm so cute you know you want to give me a treat" look down pat. But candy meant for people can be dangerous, even deadly, for dogs and cats. Chocolate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring chemical in cocoa beans that can be toxic to canines. Make sure to keep all the goodies, especially the chocolate, out of snout's reach.

"Watch your kids, too, to make sure they aren't giving your pets candy," Gillispie said.

And it's not just the sweets that pose a threat. Candy wrappers can get stuck in a pet's digestive tract, causing the animal to suffer and you to incur a pricey vet bill. Keep the Emergency Veterinary Service phone number handy -- 563-8575 -- in case your pet does nibble something he's not supposed to.

Just say no to candles: With all the commotion of Halloween, an open flame is just a bad idea. A wagging tail, a startled kitty or even a costumed kid can easily knock over a carved pumpkin. For everyone's sake, use a battery-operated light instead of a candle in your Jack-O-Lantern.

Black cats on the prowl: Until last year, the RVSPCA, like many shelters, banned the adoption of black cats in October.

"But it's not fair to hold the cats from getting homes," Gillispie said, so while black kitties can be adopted this month from the Roanoke shelter, she said all potential adopters are carefully screened.

Urban legend says people hunt for animals, especially black cats, on Halloween, sacrificing and torturing them in barbaric rituals. While verifiable statistics are not available on whether the phenomenon of Halloween-related, black cat brutality is real or a myth, Gillispie said why take the chance?

Keep your kitties of every color, and your dogs, too, safely in the house and away from dangerous, two-legged predators.

Better safe than sorry.