Features
Poll: Most pets going bare this Halloween
By Sue Manning
Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES — There’s an Arabian horse in Idaho who may go as Mickey Mouse and a black cat in Minnesota who will turn into a skunk or a witch, but the majority of pets in America will be bare this Halloween.
Stephanie Bennett, who lives in Meridian, Idaho, and her horse Arija are going on a “Hallowed Weenies” trek, an annual two-day endurance ride of 25 to 50 miles where both dress up.
In past years, the trip has attracted a pumpkin and a patch, Lady Godiva and her steed and the grim reaper on horseback. Bennett was still deciding on her own costume but leaning toward Minnie Mouse for herself and mouse ears for Arija.
Superheroes like Batman and Superman are popular, she said, but “capes are an interesting thing on a horse. They can spook at things like that so you have to be careful.”
Dave Heuer of Roseville, Minn., has two cats — one who’s easy to dress and one who won’t tolerate it. “Black Cat deals with humiliation very well,” he said of the 10-year-old, 20-pound feline that has been a ball player and a lion in years past.
“Haley won’t be anything,” Heuer said of his other cat. “She doesn’t like anything on her or near her. We tried to put a Christmas hat on her once but no dice.”
Black Cat doesn’t go out or help hand out candy. Dressing up is just for fun, said Heuer, who has had him since he was a kitten. “We started with clothespins to see how many we could put on him. He tolerated 14 on his skin and fur. It would have been more but we ran out of clothespins.”
Bennett and Heuer are in the minority. An Associated Press-Petside.com poll showed that only 8 percent of pet owners plan to dress their animals for Halloween. A whopping 91 percent said there would be no duds on their dogs, cats or other pets.
Jim Wilson of Belton, Mo., has an easy-going, 8-year-old cat named Tigger, who would no doubt wear a costume well, but “It’s just not something we would do.”
Jilles Hoffman of LaPorte, Ind., agreed. “I don’t do it myself, so I don’t do it for them.” His two Yorkshire terriers wouldn’t mind the clothes but “we don’t even have any kids who come down our street.
“I think it’s cruel to dress up any cat,” said Joan Matthews of Northbrook, Ill. “I have a cat and there is no way she would deal with that.”
The cat is named JulieTabby Tabitha Stripes Williams, the First, Matthews said, because it was the family’s first pet and everyone wanted to get involved. The 2-year-old cat is a lot like the one described by the Egyptologist in the movie “Catwoman” because she doesn’t come when you call her, she lets you know how she feels and she has no respect for authority, Matthews said.
Robert Porter of Livonia, Mich., said his rescue cat, Emma, doesn’t like to get dressed up. In her case, it’s a good thing.
Emma has severe allergies and her food costs a pricey $38 a bag. That only lasts four or five weeks, Porter said. So, no costumes, no presents for birthdays or Christmas. Just food, he said.
The AP-Petside.com poll was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media from October 1-5. It is based on landline and cellular telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,166 pet owners. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
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