Halloween is a fun time for humans, but not necessarily for pets. Please follow these tips, and share them with others, to help keep all pets safe this Halloween.
- Protect your pet on Halloween by keeping her indoors. A pet that is out at night with trick-or-treaters might get spooked by noise and costumes, which could cause her to run off and get lost.
- All cats should be kept indoors at all times; however, if you have a solid black or solid white cat, you should be especially careful about keeping her indoors on Halloween. If possible, try and keep her indoors for a week before and a week after Halloween, for adding safety. Some people are superstitious about cats and may try to scare or harm her.
- Keep your pet confined and away from the door while you are greeting trick-or-treaters at your home to prevent her from darting outdoors.
- Your dog may feel that his territory is being invaded by the constant onslaught of visitors. Keeping your dog in a secluded area of the house will help him stay calm and prevent him from growling or possibly biting your visiting ghouls and goblins.
- Keep Halloween candy out of your pets reach, because it can make your pet very ill. In fact, chocolate and raisins can be fatal to dogs!
- Celebrate Halloween with your pet by giving him goodies that are made especially for her species, like dog biscuits or cat treats.
- If you are considering giving a black or white cat as a gift to celebrate Halloween, please either give a stuffed animal or a gift certificate to your local animal shelter, instead. This will allow your friend or family member to select just the right cat (or other pet) for them.