Halloween Tips from Furkids

Halloween is only a few days away. It’s important to remember the safety of your pets during this time of year. Things can get hectic and noisy with the kids trick-or-treating. Here are 6 very important safety tips for your and your pets on Halloween night:

1. Chocolate Is Poisonous to Pets. Most people already know this to be true. However, it’s easy to accidentally leave candies and chocolate within reach of pets. Make sure to keep the candy bowl and trick-or-treat baskets away from pets, especially if you have pets who are mischievous and like to get into trouble. (Late night emergency vet visits are no fun!)

2. Keep Pets Indoors. Hopefully your pets are already indoor pets, however, some pets may be let outside to partake in the fun festivities. Just be aware that on Halloween night your pet could run into danger and become the victim of bullies and pranksters. [Unfortunately, this is especially true for black cats.] Prevent ANY opportunity for your pets to get injured by keeping them inside on Halloween night.

3. Keep Pets Secured. Even if you already keep your pets indoors, which is a great thing, they could potentially escape out the front door to go running after little kiddos. Or they might become afraid and run away if they get spooked by the freaky sights and sounds. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Keep your pet secure in a crate or bathroom during trick-o-treating. You can always bring them out to play later once the festivities are over. Safety first!

4. Pumpkins with Candles. You might not realize that these are a safety hazard for pets. It’s easy for a cat or dog to knock over a pumpkin with a lit candle and create a major fire hazard for the entire family! Always keep pumpkins out of reach. If you use an electrical cord to light a pumpkin, make sure to keep it out of the “chew” zone.

5. Dressing Up Pets. It’s always fun to include your pets on Halloween, but some pets dislike being dressed up in costumes. They could cause unnecessary stress for your pet. If they don’t act like they are enjoying themselves in their “spooky” tails costumes, by all means don’t make them wear the costumes! It's a good idea to give the costume a trial run prior toHalloween to make sure your pet is comfortable.

6. Proper Identification. Last but not least, always make sure your pet is wearing an identification tag. Whether it be a microchip tag or a personalized ID tag, this is not the time to go collarless or tagless. Pets can easily escape out the front door on Halloween night and now’s the time to be thinking of getting an ID tag, or updating the old one, BEFORE Halloween night.

Written By: Leigh Ann Dickey