How to Keep Your Pets Safe this Halloween

A lot of pets love Halloween. New people come to the door, there are a bunch of different smells, and sometimes their humans dress up in weird outfits! But with Halloween comes some dangers that pet parents need to be aware of to make sure everyone’s Happy Halloween stays happy! Here’s How to Keep Your Pets Safe this Halloween!

How to Keep Your Pets Safe this Halloween

1. Watch the Doors

An easy way to keep your pets safe this Halloween is by keeping an eye on all doors that open and close.

Whether you’re having a party or opening the door to trick-or-treaters, doors will likely be opening and closing all night long.

This means that dogs and cats will have a lot of opportunities to run out of the house!

And the last thing you want to do is have to go looking for your lost pet in the dark!

To avoid this, consider putting up a pet gate to make sure your dog can’t get to the main door or put them in a separate room or in their crate.

Since cats can climb, closing the door on them in a separate room is probably the best idea.

2. Get a Safe Costume

Just because a costume is considered a “pet costume” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe.

If your dog hates wearing hats, don’t be surprised if they get their costume’s hat off their head and then proceed to eat half of it.

Also, don’t be surprised if your cat gets a jingle bell off their costume and then swallows it.

It also needs to be said, don’t let your pet wear a costume unattended.

They could get caught on something, or get part of the costume wrapped around their neck or leg.

You know your pet’s likes, dislikes, and habits. Use that knowledge to pick a safe costume for them.

3. Keep Candy Out of Reach

Candy is perhaps one of Halloween’s biggest dangers to pets.

Dogs and cats shouldn’t have a lot of sugar in their diet (cats can’t even taste sweetness), so if they get into the candy bowl they could get really sick.

Even sugar-free candy can be dangerous, as xylitol (a common sugar-free candy sweetener) is deadly to both cats and dogs.

Chocolate is also poisonous to both cats and dogs.

And even if the candy itself doesn’t harm your pet, they could choke on the candy’s wrapper!

4. Keep Decor Out of Reach

If you want to keep your pets safe this Halloween, make sure they don’t mess with any of your Halloween decor.

Decorations pose a lot of hazards, from choking on small plastic skull garlands to catching themselves on fire with candles, pets can get into a lot of trouble just with your home’s Halloween decorations.

5. Be Wary of Taking Them Trick-or-Treating

Owner and pet costume combos can be really creative and fun.

But if you take your pet out with your family to go trick-or-treating, ensure that they can actually handle it.

If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it may become overwhelmed and want to bite.

Also make sure to hold tight to their leash, and watch that they don’t find and eat any candy on the sidewalk.

6. Get Them Microchipped

To keep your pets safe this Halloween, get them microchipped.

A dog or cat microchip only costs about $50 or less and lasts their whole life.

If despite your best efforts your pet still manages to get away on Halloween, a microchip may just be what helps bring them back home.

Do your pets like Halloween? Do they love to dress up or go Trick-or-Treating for pet treats?

You may also enjoy reading our Halloween Safety Tips by Miss Molly the pup herself!