Masks, costumes, decorations, lights, strangers at your door – Halloween can be a scary experience for our pets. Try some of these tips to reduce the risk of pets being hurt, poisoned, or lost.
- Don’t feed Halloween treats to pets. Raisins can cause your pet’s kidneys to fail, and candy may contain toxic substances, such as chocolate or xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies and gum).
- Make sure your pets have identification (microchip, collar, and ID tag) that will make it easy for someone to contact you and return them home in case they escape through an open door while you’re distracted with trick-or-treaters.
- Keep decorations out of reach. Lit candles, jack-o-lanterns, glow sticks, batteries, and other Halloween decorations should be kept safely from curious mouths and noses.
- Keep an eye on human costume pieces. Keep all human costume pieces away from pets as they could cause choking, internal injury, or illness.
- Check that your pet costume is safe. If you plan to put a costume on your pet, make sure:
- It fits properly and is comfortable.
- There are no pieces that easily can be chewed off or cause choking.
- It doesn’t block your pet’s sight, hearing, breathing, mouth, or movement.
- You take time before Halloween to get your pet accustomed to the costume, and never leave a costumed pet unsupervised.
- Provide a safe place away from the front door if needed. If your pet is wary of strangers or has a tendency to bite, put them in a room away from the front door during trick-or-treating hours, or provide them with a safe hiding place.
- Keep your pet indoors. Pets left outside can easily escape out open gates or can be overexcited by all the visitors.