Halloween Experts

Halloween is a wonderful time for children and adults alike. For pets, however, it can be frightening, confusing and stressful. According to animal behaviorist and author, Diana Guerrero, “Although some pets might like to dress up and participate in events, many more have adverse reactions. Pets can get very frightened by costumes and other unusual activities surrounding the Halloween celebrations. Constant door knocking, bell ringing, and unusual appearing guests can stress pets or spook them. This can contribute to escape or aggression.” As a pet owner, you know your pet best, but unusual circumstances can cause unusual behavior at this holiday time. Before deciding if your pet should participate in Halloween activities, please consider some of the following suggestions from the ASPCA, the Partnership for Animal Welfare, and other pet experts.

1. Unless your pet is the most calm and social, all dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room, a quiet safe place, away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Constant doorbell ringing and too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets. Even normally friendly pets may become overly aggressive, fearful or territorial around guests in costumes.

2. It is safest to keep pets indoors on Halloween night, to avoid accidental bites, but also to protect your animals from strangers taunting, harming or stealing them. Cats are often the targets of cruelty on this holiday. Walk your dog well before the trick or treating hours begin to avoid meeting scary characters on the street.

3. Anything within range of a wagging tail or a curious kitten can be a potential hazard. Keep decorations out of the reach of pets. This is particularly true of candles and candle-lit Jack O’Lanterns. Some decorations can be lethal to pets if ingested, or if they become tangled in them. Keep electrical cords out of the reach of your fur friends.

4. When answering the door for trick or treaters, pets may dart outside. Consider putting a pet gate or baby gate across the doorway as extra insurance against escape. Make sure your pet is wearing up to date ID, just in case.

5. Halloween treats are for people, not pets! Keep all treats up out of their reach. Take charge of your children’s Halloween loot as soon as they return from Trick or Treating. Remind them not to leave candy or wrappers on the floor. Chocolate can be deadly to pets, and the darker the chocolate, the less it takes for a toxic dose. Candy with artificial sweetener is very toxic to animals, even in the smallest amounts. Be safe and make sure adults supervise the consumption of treats.

6. It might be hard to resist putting your pet in a costume for Halloween, but, most pets don’t enjoy it. If your pet is one who does, then choose the costume carefully. Loose parts and small, dangling accessories invite chewing and present a choking hazard. Make sure that the costume does not restrict the pet’s vision or movement. Consider a festive bandana or reflective collar or harness as an alternative. If you take your pets out onto the street in costume, make sure that you keep them on a leash.

Keeping these tips in mind can make for a fun and happy Halloween for you and your pets!