It is spooky season, and miniature pirates and ballerinas will be knocking on your door next week in search of sugar! Halloween is an exciting night for everyone on the block – Kids who dress up in their favorite costumes and get free candy, and parents and neighbors who get the joy of seeing the excitement Halloween brings to the little ones’ faces. However, there are members of the family who may not enjoy Halloween as much as you think, and those are our furry ones with four legs.
Here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind as Halloween creeps up on us to help keep your pet(s) comfortable and safe on Halloween night:
- No matter how cute they are, do not give them any candy.
Common Halloween candies are made of chocolate or contain xylitol, which is found in sugar-free candies, and can be very toxic to pets. Please keep the candy bowls and buckets out of reach of your animals to ensure they do not ingest any of these toxic ingredients. Make sure to pass the word along to your generous children in case they want to share some of their candy with their best friends.
- We love oohing and awing over their adorable costumes, but they may not love them so much.
This will depend on how well you know your pet. If you know your pet will not mind running around in the world’s cutest costume, feel free to dress them up on Halloween night, but never leave them unsupervised in their costumes. Also, give them a day or two to get used to their costume before the big night.
If you can tell your pet is not a big fan of their costume, do not force them to wear it. If is causes enough stress to an animal, they will not hesitate to chew their way out, which can cause choking hazards for your pet. Make sure the costume does not interfere with their ability to see, walk, breathe or eat.
- Speaking of stress, some quiet time for your pets might be ideal.
With the doorbell constantly ringing and strangers in unusual costumes coming up to the door, this may cause extreme stress on your pet and make them uneasy. Consider putting your pet in a separate room for a little alone time, or swap out a thunder shirt for a costume to help them become more relaxed.
If you are out in the neighborhood trick or treating for part of the evening, it might be a good idea to turn your porch light off to avoid strangers coming up to your house and disturbing your pet when you are not home. Anything to help put your pet at ease on this busy night will help them feel better, and more importantly, keep them safe.
- Keep your pets in mind when setting up spooky Halloween decorations.
Both indoor and outdoor decorations can be inevitable during Halloween, but make sure they are out of reach from your fur babies. Decorations like jack-o-lanterns, spider webs, and decorative corn can be harmful for pets and put them in unsafe situations. You do not want your pet to digest these items as they can cause choking or have trouble digesting them.
Also, decorations with lighting, like candles or glow sticks, can be very dangerous. A candle inside a jack-o-lantern can be cause a fire if knocked over, and glow sticks can cause irritation if ingested. The liquid inside glow sticks is not toxic, but it can result in excessive drooling and vomiting in pets. Consider battery-powered lights, but make sure the cords are tucked away and out of reach as well as with other electric decorations.
- Lastly, update all tags and microchip information.
Halloween can be a very busy night in the neighborhood and can cause a lot of stress to our animals. In order to be safe than sorry, call or look online to ensure all information is updated for your pet’s microchip. Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with updated tags in case the unfortunate happens, and they get loose. You should always monitor your pets outside on Halloween night to make sure they don’t try to escape the stress or get teased by children or teenagers who are out trick or treating.
With these tips and tricks in mind, your pet should have a safe and comfortable Halloween night. We hope everyone in the family has a fun and safe night and makes many happy memories!
You can visit all of our adoptable Waifs during our adoption hours!
- Monday: CLOSED
- Tuesday: Noon-8pm
- Wednesday: Noon-8pm
- Thursday: Noon-8pm
- Friday: Noon-8pm
- Saturday: 10am-5pm
- Sunday: 10am-5pm
Written by Cierra H.