With everything else you plan to do this Halloween, don’t forget to make sure your dog or cat is safe for all the festivities. As you gear up for October 31st, think about how the festivities will affect your pet. As we humans get all dressed up and start begging for treats, your pets could be exposed to some real dangers. Here’s what you need to be on alert for this Halloween.
Trick-or-Treaters Outside. If your pets are outside, no doubt they will see kids in all sorts of outfits coming up and down your front walk. This can be dangerous to an outdoor pet in several ways.
• Whether they’re well-meaning or whether they’re a bunch of brats, kids can injure your pets. Maybe they’re just trying to hold it close, or maybe they’re trying to pull a prank. Keep your pets inside to ensure their safety from any meddling kids.
• Scared To Pieces. Just like firecrackers can scare a pet during the Fourth of July, the loud noises outside of trick-or-treaters could scare your pet, causing him to run off. This is another reason why you should make sure your outdoor friend stays inside this night.
• Biting Back. Your dog may be just the most precious, or your cat may love kids… but put a bunch of sugar-crazed kids on your front porch and your pet may not be so nice. In its effort to escape, your animal could bite or scratch a trick-or-treater. This won’t be good for the kid, and could even prove costly to you (if the parent is litigious). So, once again another reason why your pet may be better off crashing on your couch on Halloween.
Trick-or-Treaters at Your Door. So you’ve brought your pet inside to prevent any of the above dangers. But you’re not out of the woods yet. The doorbell rings and you open the door to a bunch of kids. Chances are your outdoor pet will make a run for the door, whether it’s to check out who’s visiting or to make a dash out to the front yard. So do yourself a favor. As you keep your pets indoors, keep them there in such a way that they can’t get to the front door every time the bell rings.
Deadly Treats. Keep those treats for the kids far away from your furry friends. By now you should know chocolate can be deadly for dogs. Well, it can also be very bad for your cat. And it’s not just chocolate that you should be concerned about. There’s really no type of Halloween candy that your pet should get its paws on. So keep these treats high enough, out of your pets’ reach.
Halloween is such a fun holiday, you don’t want to ruin it by worrying about the safety of your pet. With these simple tips, I hope you’re able to make it a night everyone can enjoy. And, if you want to get your pet more involved in Halloween, just click here for some wild and unique doggie costumes.
