The spookiest holiday of the year is approaching, which means now is a great time to consider how to make it a fun event for your pet instead of a stressful one. While there’s lots of fun to be had with your cat or dog on Halloween, it’s also essential to look at this day from our pet’s point of view.
Whether it’s putting on a costume, throwing a party, or having strangers come to the door all night, the things that make Halloween fun for people can sometimes make it stressful or difficult for our pets. In this in-depth Halloween care guide for dogs and cats, we’ll go over the top tips to ensure your pet feels safe, happy, and comfortable during the holiday.
Reduce Stress Whenever & Wherever Possible
Some of the most fun parts of Halloween for us people can be the most stressful for pets. Cats and dogs are more than capable of feeling stressed out, which can lead to them behaving unpredictably, hiding, refusing to eat, doing their business inside the house, and more. While no two animals are exactly the same, and every individual pet has unique stress thresholds, there are a few best practices to keep their stress levels down during Halloween.
If you plan to hand out candy from your home this year, we recommend keeping your pet in a safe, quiet room away from the door for the evening. Not only will this help them feel less agitated when strangers knock on the door, but also it ensures your cat or dog won’t be able to run out the front door while it’s open.
The same goes if you plan to have a Halloween party at your place. Some pets don’t mind a social situation, but it’s still a good idea to have a quiet, calming place in case they need a break. For cats, we suggest setting up a room with food, water, toys, and their litter box, while dogs can have the same set-up or spend the night in their crate if they’re comfortable with it.
For more information on the benefits of crate training as a safe place, you may refer to our previous blog post on the subject.
Use of Prescription Anti-anxiety Medication Where Needed
Your veterinarian can prescribe medications to help with the stress and anxiety that your pet may undergo. This is a very important consideration as stress can lead to other ailments such as diarrhea, UTI-like symptoms, loss of appetite, etc. Crowds, loud noises, fireworks, multiple visitors to the door, etc. all add to the fear, anxiety, and stress to your pets.
Medications prescribed for these specific stressful events can be very helpful in making your pet feel safe, calm, and disease-free.
Beware of Halloween Treats
Halloween wouldn’t be complete without some sweet treats, but it’s important that you keep these well away from your dog or cat. Many Halloween treats can be hazardous if eaten by your pet—particularly anything with chocolate and the artificial sweetener xylitol, as these are both a serious hazard to your pet’s health.
Even if a candy doesn’t have these ingredients, we strongly recommend keeping all human treats away from your pets. These can cause digestive issues for your furry friend, quickly turning an evening of Halloween fun into a trip to the vet.
If you have kids, make sure they understand not to share their Halloween loot with your pets. Instead, you can stock up on some pet-friendly Halloween treats so your furry friends aren’t left out of the fun.
Keep an Eye on Decorations
Many holiday decorations pose a slight hazard to pets, and changing your animal’s home can cause them to feel some heightened stress as well. We recommend showing your pet their designated safe room before you get work decorating the inside of your house. This lets them know that they have a calm, predictable place to go if they start feeling overwhelmed.
Depending on your specific cat or dog, certain Halloween decorations might pose a risk to your pet. Lit candles, of course, are a hazard that should be kept well out of reach of your pets. The same goes for fake eyeballs, which might look like a chew toy, but actually present a choking risk. Glow sticks and fake blood, if punctured and exposed to animals, contain chemicals that when ingested will harm your pet’s digestive system. Fake spiderwebs are a very common decoration, but they can be risky to keep around pets—especially cats, who might choke on or become entangled in them.
Keep Pets Safely Indoors on Halloween Night
While we recommend keeping your cat indoors year-round and only letting your dog outside when you’re with them, this is especially important on Halloween. Between strangers dressed in frightening costumes, fireworks, loud music, and other festivities, the outdoors can be a very distressing place for pets on Halloween. In order to keep them safe and avoid pets becoming confused or even lost, we strongly recommend keeping them indoors on Halloween night.
Be sure to read our previous article for more tips on keeping pets safe and happy during Halloween.
Use Caution with Pet Costumes
Dressing up a pet in a Halloween costume is lots of fun, but only if they think so, too. Some pets might have no problem wearing a very elaborate costume (and they might love the extra attention they get for it), while others can become agitated from something as simple as a bandana around their neck.
When deciding whether to dress up your pet, think about their unique personality and temperament first. If your cat can’t stand wearing a collar, they’re probably not going to enjoy a full-on costume.
Generally speaking, it’s best to keep pet costumes simple, minimal, and nonrestrictive. Putting a pet in a mask or something else on their head might be alright for a few minutes to get a festive photo, but we suggest taking it off afterward. Make sure to take off any removable parts of the costume that could be a choking hazard, and keep an eye on your pet to see if they become uncomfortable while wearing the costume.
You can refer to our previous article for a more in-depth discussion of pet costume do’s and don’ts.
Keep Contact Information for a Trusted Vet Handy
Last but certainly not least, it’s a good idea to have an established relationship with a trustworthy veterinarian before Halloween rolls around. Like other holidays, Halloween is a fun-filled day that also comes with its fair share of hazards for your pet. Knowing that a veterinarian is just a call away ensures that you and your pet have a good time during Halloween, safe in the knowledge that you can quickly get help for your pet if they need it.
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