October means pumpkin patches, spiced cider, apple pies, fall foliage, and of course… Halloween! While it is an evening of endless frightful fun for most, all of the creepy commotion can make it a stressful evening for our furry friends. Read below for our top 5 tips on how to keep your pet safe and comfortable on the spookiest night of the year!
1. Skip the treats (for your pet at least!) It is important that you keep all of the candies for the trick-or-treaters in a safe place away from your pet. This may go without saying, but most candy is unhealthy and potentially even unsafe for pets to consume. You should be even more careful with any treats that contain chocolate (especially baking or dark chocolate) or the artificial sweetener xylitol commonly found in diet or sugar-free sweets. Consumption of these ingredients can be unsafe and potentially even lethal to our furry friends so play it safe and keep the candy bowl stashed away and out of reach.
2. Keep your pet inside and away from the door. With all of the pranks and other general chaos that comes with Halloween, it is best to keep your pet in the house with you for the duration of the evening. We may even recommend keeping your pet in a secure, quiet part of your house away from the door as strangers dressed unusually as well as the constant opening and closing of the door and ringing of the doorbell may result in pet aggression or attempts to escape.
3. Be smart with your costume choices. There is almost nothing cuter than a dog or cat in a Halloween costume, but it is important that your pet is happy and comfortable with being dressed up. Therefore, make sure that your pet’s costume does not impair their ability to move, breathe, see, or hear and that it doesn’t irritate their skin either. Festive bandanas are always a good alternative if a costume just isn’t right fit for your pet!
4. IDs, IDs! It is safe to say that Halloween can be a chaotic night, so if the unthinkable happens and your pet does escape or get lost, proper identification tags and microchips can be life-savers. Therefore, make sure that your pet is equipped with their proper identification markers all evening long.
5. Safety-first with decorations. From cornucopias and jack-o-lanterns to battery-powered ghouls and ghosts, it’s not a proper Halloween without spooky decorations. However, when decorating your house this October keep your pet’s safety in mind by keeping edible vegetables (such as pumpkins, other gourds, corn, etc.), open flames, and electric cords out of reach and chewing range.
