Candy, costumes, caramel apples and pumpkins…what’s not to love about Halloween? It is definitely one of my favorite holidays (likely because I’m a self-professed chocoholic). Unfortunately, it can be a scary holiday for pets. After all, there are ghosts and goblins knocking on the door to their homes! To keep your pets safe and happy during Halloween, here are some important safety tips:

1. Black cats should be kept inside. Unfortunately, during Halloween black cats are often the targets of pranks or something even worse that may result in the cat’s death. Most humane societies will not adopt out black cats around Halloween because of the threat of malicious attacks on them. Be sure to keep your cat inside to keep them safe and alive.

2. Trick-or-Treaters can be scary! Your pet doesn’t understand that it is a human under that mask and may become frightened or aggressive. Unfortunately, many pets have run away from their own homes because they were scared of people in costumes continuously coming up to the house. Your always very friendly dog may snap or try to bite the scary zombie that is trying to come into his house because he thinks he is protecting you. Keep your pet in a safe and quiet place until the trick-or-treaters are gone. Poor Fido may really think that scary Frankenstein is there to hurt him.

3. Candy is dangerous for your pet, especially chocolate! It’s easy to get distracted with kids in costumes and trick-or-treaters knocking on your door. It only takes a spilt second for you to look away from the candy dish and your pet can gobble up all the goodies…wrappers and all! Chocolate is toxic and can kill them, sugar candy can cause major vomiting and wrappers can become obstructed requiring surgery for your pet. Keep the candy away from your pet.

4. Keep candles away from pets. Jack-o-Lanterns are pretty, and many curious cats get too close to them and cause their fur to catch on fire. Wagging dog tails can knock over candles when no one is looking thus causing a house fire.

5. Be sure your pets have identification on them at all times! This goes without saying even when it’s not Halloween. However, during Halloween doors to homes are opened more frequently and animals may become more frightened. Unfortunately, good natured animals have run out of their homes only to get lost in a sea of vampires, ghosts and goblins. Ideally, your pets should be both microchipped and have a regular identification tag on them. Be sure that the tag you have for your pet has the correct address and number on it. Go online and update your pet’s microchip information. A microchip is only good if it has the correct phone numbers and address registered to it.

6. Think about who the costume is really for before you dress your pet up. It’s unlikely that your Pug wants to be Tinker Bell or your Siamese wants to be Yoda. However, let’s face it…costumes are just too cute on pets. Even I am guilty of dressing up my pets. If your pet becomes stressed or upset about being dressed up, you have to ask yourself, “Is it fair for my pet?” They don’t understand your excitement over Halloween. To them, it’s just another day.

If you are going to dress them up, please make sure the costume is safe for him or her. The costume should not constrain their movement. Be sure not to place anything around their neck that may be a potential choking hazard. Do not place anything over their eyes, ears or nasal passages. Your pet should be able to move normally, breathe, see, hear and smell the same they would without a costume.

7. Halloween decorations may be dangerous for pets, especially puppies and kittens. Puppies and kittens love to explore new things with their mouths. Little plastic spiders, fake cobwebs and electric lights are fun for them to pounce on and eat. Be careful to watch your pets at all times whenever there are new decorations in the house.

Halloween can be lots of fun for both humans and pets, so long as it is done safely. My dogs are fascinated when I carve a pumpkin. They watch in awe as I remove its “guts.” I’m sure they wonder what I’m doing. They think it’s funny when I play “dress up” in a ridiculous costume, and they love curling up next to me to watch Charlie Brown’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin.” I love sharing Halloween with my pets, but I make sure they are kept safe and happy during it.

For more safety information on pet safety during Halloween:

HSUS.org (search keyword: Halloween Pet Safety)

ASPCA.org (search keyword: Halloween Pet Safety)

PetPlace.com (search keyword: Halloween Pet Safety)

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 10:04 am and is filed under Amy Breton. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.