Halloween gives kids and some adults a chance to cut loose. For several hours, people give themselves (and others) license to act silly, weird or ghastly. Supervised children dressed as Buzz Lightyear, Baby Yoda or Wonder Woman 1984 clatter through their neighborhoods in search of sweet bounties. Some adults look like they’d stepped out of an episode of The Handmaiden’s Tale or Game of Thrones. No one appears to be who they usually are, and that can be fun.
But not necessarily for our four legged and feathered friends. Frequent knocks on the door, a parade of strangely-dressed pretenders, and the ghoulish sounds they might make could rattle some pets more than that lawn skeleton.
Here are some suggestions for a pet-friendly Halloween:
A long, late-afternoon walk is nature’s Prozac for any dog (“A tired dog is a happy dog!”). They’ll be much more chill by the time visitors call. Bring cats and any semi-outdoor pets indoors before nightfall.
If your pet is overzealous or fearful toward strangers, consider giving them pet CBD about an hour or so before an expected rush of trick-or-treaters. Please use a product with a CBD concentration designed specifically for pets.
Wrapping A ThunderShirt around dogs is an effective non-pharmacological alternative that helps them feel safe and contained. Animals can be unnerved by the shrieks and roars of some ghostly revelers.
You may want to keep your pet in a separate room or hold them in your arms when answering the door. Startled dogs or cats craving the wild may bolt through the slightest opening and possibly bowl a visitor over.
Stow all candies out of pets’ reach. Dogs’ home in on sweets like a heat-seeking missile and can devour whole bags of wrapped candy at once. Chocolate is highly toxic to both dogs and cats as is the sugar-sub sweetener, Xylitol.
Parents should educate their children regarding the harmful effects of candy on animals. Prevent kids from accidentally feeding candy, especially chocolate, from the family stash or their treat bag.
Small amounts of real pumpkin (no pumpkin spice!) is healthy for pets. Pumpkin decorations made of polystyrene and other chemicals is not. Green goblin garland may be a choking hazard. Spooky chew toys are a better bet.
Paths and porches lit with jack-o-lanterns are alluring, but potentially hazardous. Keep these out of pets’ path. Better yet, use electric tea lights instead of a live flames to spark that eerie flicker.
Kids and adults may don their chosen costumes enthusiastically, but many pets don’t like being dressed up (no matter how cute we think they look!). Don’t push reluctant pets or they may bite into more than the candy corn.
If your pet consents to a costume, be sure that it fits well, is non-toxic and comfortable. Tight collars, flowing headdresses, sashes and long trains could catch on errant objects and choke/trip your pet. Dangly beads can be choked.
You can plant styrofoam tombstones in your yard and string cobwebs over your hedges, but your mask will never really hide you from your animal companion.