Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday! I love making costumes and dressing up but this year I didn't. I thought about making something but I've been so busy running @chicagoblackcat that I decided to skip the costume. In an effort to get into the Halloween spirit, we went for a walk with our black cat, Mikita. Or should I say "stroll"? We push him in a stroller. He enjoys the fresh air but gets a little nervous outside so the stroller is his safe space. If you're wondering if we get weird looks from people while we're pushing Mikita in a pet stroller, wonder no more. We definitely do! And then there are some people who think it's cute and funny. They. Get. Us.
Chicago neighborhoods are filled with elaborate Halloween decorations so we decided to gear up and bring Mikita on a little Autumn photo excursion. We put his new Snuggle Bed (yes that's what it's called) in his stroller with a blanket and off we went! All harnessed in with a leash clipped directly into the stroller (safety first), we walked through the neighborhood showcasing bright orange, yellow and red fall leaves. Rich (Cat Dad) took the photos while our little King Kita explored.
As we rolled up to some Halloween decorations, we unzipped the stroller top. Curious but cautious, Mikita sniffed the air. In an effort to make sure he was warm, we put him in a fleece jacket that I had made on a whim one time. It was a little chilly out but we were probably being overly cautious.
We walked along the sidewalk and we came up on a pumpkin patch. Actually, it was someone's garden area that they decorated for Halloween. Close enough. Mikita hopped out of his stroller so I lifted him into the fenced in Halloween garden to explore. He decided it wasn't jacket weather anymore so I took it off. He didn't even notice. Back to pumpkin patch exploring. The stroller was snuggly warm and available to this wild mini panther, you know in case he was chilly and wanted to get cozy. He's a pampered panther.
People and dogs walked by as we snapped photos of our adorable little fur child. Yes, we know how ridiculous we are. Mikita was the purrfect little Halloween decoration as he checked out the scene. I mean, he's a black cat and it's Halloween! It couldn't be anymore perfect!
Mikita might be scared of the vacuum (aka The ScreamMachine) but he's not scared of any spooky Halloween decorations! Mikita is always a little apprehensive about going outside. He acts a bit concerned when we zip him in his stroller, but once we're out in the fresh air he wants to poke his head out, hop out and explore!
Nice weather is few and far between during late fall and winter in Chicago. So we try to soak up the remaining crisp air before we have to put on winter boots and break out the puffer jackets. Winter in Chicago is COLD. But it's a beautiful city so most of the time we don't mind it.
I have several favorite photos of the day and this is one of them. Mikita couldn't be more perfect here, guarding the gates to the haunted house! He's a very scary guard panther in case you couldn't tell! I'm sure you're terrified.
Mikita wanted to check out the decorations and we were taking photos and videos of him like we had a child in the spelling bee. Keep in mind, this is the city. A decent amount of people were walking by, and a couple people with dogs stopped to chat. But everyone else was probably wondering what we were doing with our cat on a leash.
There was no lack of creativity when it came to Halloween decorations around town! I love when people get into Halloween. As a kid, my dad cut out wooden gravestones. We painted and decorated them and propped them up in our yard. We'd make a scarecrow out of his old clothes and set out bails of hay. My mom made all of my costumes. I always had something specific in mind and she made my ideas come to life. These days I sew my own costumes. The Halloween before we adopted Mikita, I was a witch and Rich (Cat Dad) was a black cat. Maybe we knew we wanted Mikita before we ever met him!
Anyway, back on track! As we walked through the neighborhood we stopped to take photos when we got to a house with extravagant Halloween decor. All of a sudden we found ourselves posing in front of peoples houses like it was our own. Is that weird? Maybe. We live in a high-rise so we don't exactly have these types of decoration opportunities.
Look at all those pumpkins on the steps! I mean, you can't have good decorations and not expect people to stop. So we snapped some more. I asked Rich and Mikita to look in opposite directions and pose like Instagram models. They did great. That skeleton though!
My absolute favorite photo of the day might be this one, below. Mikita resting his head on the stroller edge with a big scary witch in the background makes my heart melt! He's a little out of focus but who cares. He is such a sweetheart. The perfect little Chicago Halloween Black Cat!
I love giant Halloween decorations. I also love witches and witchy things so this tall witch lady was really calling my name.
Autumn isn't long enough, especially in Chicago. Anyone from the midwest knows that it goes from hot summer to cold fall with a chance of rain within a few days. We don't get many crisp, sunny fall days. As expected, it started to mist a little while we were out. Thankfully it wasn't much and our little prince Mikita had a stroller to stay dry! The fall colors are to die for though!
We kept strolling along as the mist disappeared. We crossed the street and checked out some more Halloween decorations. I look like a proud (cat) mom pushing a really weird stroller here. That's exactly what is going on.
This guy! I can't get enough of Mikita. Look closely. Blurred out in the background on the right in the photo below, you'll see a black cat statue. It's actually the same exact cat statue we have at home! The one Mikita famously attacked. If you haven't seen the video, here you go!
I love that cats, especially black cats are a big part of Halloween. Even though they are often portrayed as evil or bad luck, I think overall now-a-days they appear to be powerful, sleek and smart. Often times they end up being magical in movies and shows! Like Binx in Hocus Pocus and Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Even cat skeletons are a part of Halloween! A little morbid but that's kind of what makes Halloween... well Halloween. I think I need to get one of these cat skeleton decorations.
Often times when Mikita is getting tired, he'll start snuggling into his stroller. It was a little chilly out so we tucked him in. We knew he was ready to go home because he didn't seem to be interested in hopping out anymore. Although, he couldn't resist popping his head out to see if there was anything he was missing. Such a curious little booper!
Off we went with Mikita all snug as a bug in his stroller. Through the neighborhood and the park, checking out the rest of the fall trees.
The colors never last long enough. Enjoy them while you can! If you don't live near a lot of trees, go to a Forest Preserve or a park that has them.
The cool thing about Chicago, and a lot of larger cities, is that you can be on a quiet street or a park filled with trees. Then, if you turn around the city appears! Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone! From Mikita and his purrents, Rich and Andrea.
