Halloween Pet Safety Tips
Halloween is known for its spooky decorations, costumes, and of course, the thrill of trick-or-treating. However, amid the festivities, it’s important to remember our furry friends – pets. Halloween can be a fun but potentially hazardous time for them. As responsible pet owners, it’s crucial to take steps to ensure their safety and well-being during this exciting season. Below, we’ll explore some essential tips and guidelines for keeping your pets safe and happy on Halloween.
Halloween Hype Can Cause Pets Stress
- Before the trick-or-treating starts, put your pets in a quiet room where they will be safe from all the Halloween activity. If your pup is likely to try to run out the front door and is comfortable in a crate, consider putting them in the crate with a treat-filled toy and some soft music playing in the background. Cats may feel safer in a bedroom away from the stream of trick or treaters.
- Minimize noise by sitting outside to keep trick-or-treaters from knocking on the door or ringing the bell.
- Even if you are just having friends over for a Halloween party, keep your pets away from the festivities in their safe room. Masks and costumes change how people look and smell to a pet, so even familiar people may become frightening. Put a sign on the door to the safe room so your guests know it’s off-limits.
- When going out trick-or-treating, leave your dog at home. Dogs can be easily excited by the Halloween commotion, and a bite or a lost dog will quickly end the evening’s fun.
Delicious Treats For Your, Potiential Tricks For Your Pet(s)
- The candy bowl is for trick-or-treaters, not Scruffy or Fluffy. Several popular Halloween treats are toxic to pets. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for cats and dogs, and sugar-free candies containing the sugar substitute xylitol can cause serious problems in pets.
Be Careful With Costumes
- For some pets, wearing a costume may cause undue stress. We recommend that you don’t put your dog or cat in a costume unless you know he or she loves it. If you do dress up your pet for Halloween, make sure the costume does not limit his or her movement, sight or ability to breathe, bark or meow. Check the costume carefully for small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that could present a choking hazard. Ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
- Be sure to have your pet try on the costume before the big night. If he or she seems distressed or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting your pet wear his or her “birthday suit” or don a festive bandana instead.
Attach and Keep Updated Pet Identification
- Always make sure your pet it wearing proper identification—if for any reason he or she does escape, a collar with ID tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver for a lost pet. Ensure that all microchip contact information is up to date.
