When you were a kid, you had the time of your life dressing up in spooky costumes and trick-or-treating with your friends. While Halloween may be a fun event for us, this special occasion can sometimes be dangerous for our fur companions.
For a fun and safe Halloween with your pet, here are some Halloween pet safety tips you should consider:
Halloween pet safety tip #1: A cool yet comfortable Halloween pet costume
People are now becoming more and more creative with their pets’ Halloween costumes, and you can see this all over social media. If you do decide to join the trend of dressing up your pet for this special event and bringing them out while trick or treating, you should be aware of the possible risks for your pet.
There are a number of online and brick-and-mortar stores selling all kinds of Halloween pet costumes, so you have tons of choices. You can let your cat dress up as a cute little dinosaur or even make your dog into a cowboy! You can’t deny how adorable your furry friend can be with a Halloween pet costume, but you may want to take note of these things.
If the costume has overly dangly parts like strings and mesh, it can easily get caught on furniture and decorations and pose a potential hazard for them. While the chances are relatively low, this is a stressful encounter you wouldn’t want to deal with, especially on this special occasion.
Other than design, the pet costume should be comfortable as well. Let your fur babies wear the costume first before the event and see how they react. Make sure they don’t feel restrained, itchy, or afraid when wearing their costume.
More importantly, never leave your furry friend unattended in their cute Halloween outfit for safety.
Pet safety tip #2: Be wary of where your pets are
Staying home and handing out candy during trick or treat time may be a good time to put your pet in another room of the house. This is to prevent them from rushing out every time the door is opened. More people will be out and about on Halloween, and there may be more cars on the streets. So, animals that get wild, loose, and energetic when they see people are at risk of wandering around and causing accidental trouble.
However, there are some pets that will hide when they are scared. That’s especially true when there are a lot of people in the area. This makes it harder for us to find them when they’re missing.
For safety purposes, you may want to get a microchip for your pet with up-to-date information in case they do become lost. If you feel like this is too much, a simple collar with a tag that has your contact number and address is likely enough. A bell on their collar would also be handy so that you can easily track the sounds and find them more easily, and a glow-in-the-dark collar can help you spot them far faster.
Halloween pet safety tip #3: Choose your Halloween decorations wisely
It’s always a good Halloween pet safety tip not to leave your fur companion unattended with risky decorations while you’re out trick-or-treating with the kids. Your pets may accidentally chew on or eat your fake cotton spider webs, cotton scarecrows, fake delicious-looking pumpkins and gourds, and other Halloween displays. Foreign objects like these can interfere with your poor fur baby’s digestion and could cause serious problems that you wouldn’t want to encounter.
Other than that, avoid candles as decorations. Your fur babies can easily knock over these candles, which can cause burns and accidental fires. If you really want to add candles, opt for LED candles instead.
Halloween pet safety tip #4: Don’t make your pets feel overly tired
Just like kids, your pets will also feel tired at some point in the night. If you’re out trick-or-treating with your pets all day, make sure that they are in good condition to do so. You may want to bring a pet stroller with you for your pets to rest in at times or plan to take them home part way through so they can take a break. You may also consider adding animal joint and hip supplements to your pets diets, especially if you feel like they’re getting stiffer with age or due to injury.
Pet safety tip #5: Don’t feed those trick-or-treat goodies to your fur baby
You may already know that chocolate is bad for animals. But, that’s not the only bad stuff pets can’t eat! Animals are also at risk from a number of Halloween treats.
Many hard candies, gums, and mints contain xylitol, which is an artificial sweetener. Although this ingredient is safe for humans, xylitol is deadly to dogs, even if it’s consumed in a small amount. Raisins are also a big no-no as they could cause kidney damage to pets.
To prevent your fur babies from getting those goodies, place Halloween treats on a high table that is out of your pets’ reach. You may also let them have their own special Halloween pet treats and toys on hand so they have something to chew on as well!
Pet safety tip #6: Let your pets stay indoors if there are fireworks
Fireworks and other loud noises can be very distressing for pets. And as much as you’d love to enjoy the show with your pets, they’d prefer to stay indoors.
If you know that fireworks are scheduled for your area, bring your pets home first. Find a safe spot, close the windows and curtains, and play soft music or provide white noise to help drown out the sounds. When you know they’re safe and sound, you can better enjoy the show yourself.
Halloween pet safety tip #7: Keep an extra eye on your black cat if you have one
If you own a black cat, there are risks that may be associated with them during the season. Don’t get us wrong — we absolutely love black cats! But, you have to keep an extra eye on them, especially during this season. This is to avoid any kind of theft or mistreatment because of unfounded beliefs. Black cats are often associated with witchcraft and a symbol of bad luck, and you wouldn’t want those who believe in this superstition to happen upon your cat on the spookiest night of the year.
Let your pets have a fun and safe halloween!
The excitement of the Halloween season — with those cool costumes, spooky decorations, and delicious treats — can pose risks to pets.
While we want our pets to enjoy Halloween like we do, we also have to make sure that they are having fun, too! That means we have to consider their safety and comfort.
So, let’s celebrate Halloween with our pets responsibly, and let them be able to enjoy the holiday as much as we do!
