What's your favorite holiday? For lots of people, it's Halloween and it's easy to see why- parties to attend, crazy costumes and of course, trick or treating. Oh, and candy.
Halloween Pet Safety Tips
While you’re busy making plans for Halloween night, make a plan for your pet as well. Take a moment and really picture Halloween through your pets' eyes. While the sight of ghosts and goblins, the Hulk and Wonder Woman and even a zombie or two can be funny to us, many pets can get confused and even scared. Add to that the constant doorbell rings and knocks on your door and you can see that Halloween can actually be a very stressful event for our furry kids.
Here are some tips to keep your pet safe and happy:
Keep your pet indoors.
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With all the activity in most neighborhoods, especially if there are “tricksters” out, having your pet inside for the evening is simply, safer. And consider keeping your pet in a quiet room away from the front door. Some dogs will react to a strange looking person in their home with fear, possibly leading to aggression or even running away.
Keep your pet away from the treats.
Don’t let your pet eat candy, intentionally or accidentally. And that includes candy wrappers that might just smell good enough to eat. There is good information about the risks of candy and what to do at https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/seasons/halloween/.
Watch out for other Halloween decorations.
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Jack-o'-lanterns or any other decorations with candles need to be placed where a pet can’t bump them or be burned by them.
Be kind with pet costumes.
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Over thirty million Americans will buy pet costumes this year- presumably for their pets. While costumes on dogs and cats can be absolutely hilarious, most pets want nothing to do with wearing stuff for our amusement. You know your pet best. If your buddy is a willing participant, have fun with it. But if your pet is like most, you'll know right away. Don't force it.
Watch out for pranks on pets.
Black cats are inextricably tied to Halloween. I guess they are spooky. There are shelters that will not allow their black cats to be adopted in the weeks just before Halloween. This is to prevent adoptions where the cat might be used as a decoration, for a prank or worse. Most experts say that’s not very likely to happen.
But they also say there is a small spike in calls regarding pets at Halloween, but not just black cats. It's usually caused by youngsters making bad decisions, being cruel while trying to entertain their friends. See #1- keep your pet indoors.
Make sure your pet is wearing an ID tag.
Happy Halloween and have fun. Make sure that your pet enjoys it as well.
