Halloween's Best Pets and Pests

Halloween, arguably one of the best holidays. There is something for everyone to like,

whether that be the endless bowls of candy, getting to dress up with friends or simply the fact

that the celebration revolves around the weakened barrier between humans and supernatural

beings. Regardless of one’s favorite tradition, everyone can agree that Halloween simply would not be the same without its paranormal creatures and their animal counterparts.

While not everyone’s minds jump straight to pets when thinking of the defining factors

for All-Hallows’ Eve, there are quite a few everyday animals highly associated with this holiday. After all, what are witches without their black cats?

Often portrayed as hovering over a bubbling cauldron or sitting on the edge of a

broomstick, black cats are said to be the familiars of witches or even a shape-shifted witch. Over 80% of students interviewed listed these midnight felines as the staple animal of Halloween.

Senior Clara Burnett remarked that, “even with the superstition that surrounds black cats,

I still love them.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the feline versus canine debate continues. Another

surprising fan favorite amongst West students is wolves.

“I see a wolf because it howls at the moon, and the moon is always a part of Halloween,”

sophomore Alexander Taylor commented.

Furthering Taylor’s thought, wolves are often compared to their fictitious cousin the

werewolf, who is also known for their howling abilities and relation to full moons.

A close runner up for the most well-known shapeshifter, has to go to the world’s only

flying mammal.

The West band’s trombone section leader, Kenneth Vasquez, stated, “vampires, bats, all

those spooky things. I associate bats with Halloween because it’s a spooky season and people find bats spooky.” Drum major Nicole Reyes chimed in with, “make sure that if you see a bat, just keep running. Keep running.”

Steering away from warm-blooded animals, insects and various arachnids was another

surprisingly common choice for Halloween’s most notable animals.

Hiding away behind every other corner, spiders are known for clinging to cobwebs with

their spindly legs, waiting for unsuspecting prey to fall into their traps.

“They’re scary and creepy. Their spiderwebs also go with the theme of Halloween,”

junior Lesley Serrano confirmed.

Of course, there are other animals such as rats and ravens that people associate with the

spooky season simply because “people are scared of them.” Regardless of what creatures you think match the Halloween aesthetic, we can all agree that anything that falls under the “creepy” or “spooky” category fits this theme perfectly.