Halloween is coming up fast. While pet owners might get that happy tingling feeling down their spine at the thought of this scary season, pets can find it terrifying. You know all those noises, costumes, and smells we enjoy? Well, pets can find them distressing when confronted with them. Some elements of this fun holiday can even be dangerous for our much beloved pets. If you can, it’s best to keep your pets in a safe and comfortable place, away from all the happenings. Give your pets a safe haven this Halloween by using these super simple tips.
Keep Halloween Activities Quiet
If you’re having a Halloween party at your house, keep your pet in a quiet room away from all of the festivities. Having just a few friends and family members over can stress your pet. The costumes and makeup your guests may wear will smell and look different to your pet. What used to be familiar faces may now be considered a threat. When pets are threatened, they may lash out unexpectedly. It’s been shown that even the most docile pets can become aggressive if they feel threatened.
The constant stream of trick or treaters knocking at your front door or ringing your doorbell can send your pet into a frizzy! Think about it…How many times does your doorbell ring on a normal day? Maybe once or twice? Your pet may worry about all these new people suddenly showing up at your door. The continuous noise and activity can put any pet on edge.
If you’re venturing out to do some trick or treating, we highly recommend leaving your pet at home. Droves of running and screaming kids can spook your loved one and force them into an unfamiliar situation they’d rather not be in. This may cause unusual aggressiveness towards people and can result in a biting incident. That’s the last thing you want to worry about on Halloween!
Keep Treats Away From Pets
Make sure your pets are in a safe room before taking out the candy you collected. Once your done sorting through your bag of goodies, put the treats away in a hard to reach place your pets can’t get to. Preferably, you can use child safe cabinet locks or a locking container. If you have children who are eating candy, keep a close eye on them as they eat. Be sure your pets are not present when your children are chowing down on those tasty treats. Treats like chocolate are very toxic to dogs. Even gum can be harmful to your pet’s health along with certain types of sweeteners. You should make sure to inform your children that sharing treats with their four legged friends can cause undo harm.
If the worst case scenario happens and your pet eats something harmful, call the 24-hour ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Their hotline number is: 888-426-4435. Please note they do charge $65 for every case that comes in. If you’re unable to reach the hotline please call your local veterinarian immediately to inform them of the situation.
Keep Pets Inside
Pets can become frightened from all the sudden changes happening around them. Do the safe thing and keep them inside this Halloween. Keep in mind, wild animals may venture out as well to forage on candy that may have been dropped by someone. Wild animals like opossums and raccoons can carry diseases that are very harmful to your pet. Although highly unlikely, if your pet escapes from your house or becomes unleashed while walking around, be sure they have proper ID tags that contain your contact information. That way you can be contacted immediately to bring your companion home.
Please be safe this Halloween season. We want everyone to enjoy the holidays. Happy Halloween!
Photo 1: Courtesy of istolethetv via Flickr (CC by 2.0)
Photo 2: Courtesy of Stacie Joy via Flickr (CC by ND 2.0)
