Amid all of the spooky decorations, tasty treats and kooky costumes, make sure to keep your pet’s safety in mind this Halloween! Here are a few simple tips to ensure a fun holiday with your pets at home and around the neighborhood.
- Make sure your bowl of goodies for trick-or-treaters isn’t somewhere that your pets can steal a sweet! Chocolate and other candies can be toxic for pets.
- Double check that all of your pets are wearing their identification tags. With doors opening and closing, you’ll want to be sure that if your pet were to get out, they could be easily identified. You may even want to keep pets in a different room during the times when you’re expecting trick-or-treaters.
- Keep spooky decorations are out of reach. Wires and cords can be dangerous if chewed, and candles inside of jack-o’-lantern can be dangerous for wagging tails or curious paws. Try battery-powered tea lights instead for a more pet-friendly jack-o-lantern!
- Remember that if you bring your dog along for trick-or-treating, he or she may be frightened by the strange sights and sounds and could get loose. It’s best to keep cats inside on Halloween, too. Make sure your dog is comfortable with attention from passersby, as there is likely to be more sidewalk traffic on Halloween.
- No one can resist a pet in a cute costume, but be sure to only dress up your dog or cat if he isn’t scared or bothered by his Halloween outfit and doesn’t restrict his normal activities. You may even want to try out your pet’s costume a few days before Halloween; just to be sure they’re perfectly comfortable wearing it.
Have a fun and safe Halloween!
