While you're thinking up the best costume for this year's Halloween party, you'll also want to consider some safety tips for your animal friends. Halloween is a day when pets get lost and sometimes fall into misguided hands. Other pets suffer from eating treats brought home by kids or left in easily-accessible bowls by the door for trick-or-treaters.
Halloween can be a fun time for people and pets alike, but remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the more dangerous goblins and ghouls that this holiday brings. Halloween can be very scary for pets if you don't take precautions.
Here are some tips to help your pets through a somewhat confusing time for them:
1) Make sure your pet has proper identification. Your pet should always wear a collar or tag. While Halloween is a key time for pets to become lost, a pet can escape at any time' and you want to be sure he/she makes it home unharmed. Be careful when you're opening the door for trick-or-treaters so that your pet doesn't slip out unnoticed, and check your yard for loose fence boards, escape holes or areas where your pet could sneak out.
2) Keep pets indoors. Halloween is an especially dangerous time for cats that are especially prone to become stolen, lost or hurt by pranksters. Black cats are the most sought after by those who would intentionally harm a feline on this holiday, but these types of people may grab any cat that crosses their path. Your cat is always safest indoors. Even if your cat goes outdoors, he/she should always remain inside during Halloween.
Any pet can be frightened by the noise, costumes and doorbell ringing on Halloween night. It's best to find a nice, quiet spot for your animal friend to spend the night, to make sure he/she doesn't dart out the door in a panic. One indoor reminder: be careful about candles in your pumpkins, or think about safer alternatives that won't be a hazard or potentially burn your pets.
3) Dressing up. When dressing up a pet, make sure the costume isn't constricting or unsafe and be careful not to obstruct your pet's vision. And as with small children, make sure that buttons or other attachments don't come off and get eaten. If your pet doesn't want to get into the costume, don't insist or you might cause stress to the pet. Never leave a pet in costume unattended.
Also, don't take your pet trick-or-treating, even though he/she may look cute in costume. Pets may become entangled in their costumes in the dark, which makes it difficult to detect and next to impossible to fix. Dogs may unexpectedly bite strangers, and cats may panic and escape. If you are interested in taking your pet trick-or-treating, there may be an event in your area that will provide a safe and entertaining environment for your pet.