Trick or Treat? Tips to Help Keep Your Pet Safe for Halloween

I'm a pet lover.  I love my pup, Chloe {in the first photo below}.  I love my horse, Joey.  I love my ferrel cats, Dora and Diego, that live in our garage and I love ALL of our cows.  I know many of you are pet lovers as well and with Halloween right around the corner, it's sometimes hard to resist dressing up our furry friends in one of those irresistable costumes you find at the pet store.  But do they really like being dressed up?  Probably not.  So, if you do decide to dress your pet, here are some tips on how to keep your furry friend comfortable and safe on Halloween.

• Be sure that its costume doesn't interfere with the pet's ability to breathe, see, hear, move, or bark.

• Don't leave your pet outside unattended on Halloween (or on the days preceding or following this holiday). Halloween pranks committed against pets can be vicious, and black cats are particularly at risk.

• Halloween treats are for people, not pets. Candy wrappers and lollipop sticks can be hazardous if swallowed and chocolate can be poisonous for some types of pets.

• Keep pumpkins out of reach of curious noses and paws. Pets may knock over a lit pumpkin and cause a fire.

 
• Consider keeping your pet in a separate room, away from the door, when trick-or-treaters arrive. Strange people in even stranger clothes can frighten some pets.

• When you do answer the door for visitors, make sure that your pet doesn't suddenly head for the great outdoors. In case your pet does escape, make sure that it is wearing proper identification. Pets with identification are much more likely to be returned to their owners.

All photos, other than Chloes were found on Google images.

Happy Thursday!