Halloween is an exciting time for families. We get to step outside the daily routine, dress up, and be kids for one night. If we are not careful though, Halloween festivities can endanger our furry loved ones. We owe it to them to take precautionary measures and ensure everyone has a good time.
Hide the Candy
Halloween is an indulgent day for us humans. Binging on chocolate and scary movies will leave us with slight regret, at most. For our pets, however, chocolate is dangerous. Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine. Humans can metabolize theobromine quickly, but it builds up in a dog’s system and becomes toxic. Chocolate can cause muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding, or a heart attack in large amounts. Make sure the candy bowl is well out of your pet’s reach.
Make a Safe Space
Kids will be ringing the doorbell all night. Every time you open the door, your pets have an escape opportunity. Unless your pet is well-socialized and knows to stay inside, find a safe spot in your home to keep them contained and happy. Even animals who are usually very friendly and well behaved might get spooked on Halloween. Additionally, you cannot account for how trick-or-treaters may act, so your best bet is to make sure all pets are secured away from the action. Make sure all identification tags are firmly secured to their collars in case of an accident. If your pet suffers from anxiety, consider limiting doorbells by sitting outside to hand out candy.
Be Careful with Decorations
Many people love to turn their homes into a haunted house for Halloween. Some of the decorations can harm your pets. It is important to ensure that wires are taped to the floor as they are a tripping hazard for everyone. Keep pumpkins away from pets. Cats are especially curious about pumpkins with candles and we want everyone to have their whiskers on November 1st. Pumpkin can cause an upset stomach in some animals. It is best to only decorate places that are out of reach for your pets.
Be Careful With Costumes
Pet costumes can be cute. You may have the best intentions of wanting to include pets in the festivities. Still, costumes can be uncomfortable and even dangerous to pets. The ASPCA recommends not dressing your pet up for Halloween. If you do, make sure the costume does not impede their ability to walk, see, or use the bathroom. Make sure nothing is constricting their breathing.
Short Bathroom Breaks
There is often a lot of noise outside during Halloween. Dogs are familiar with the normal sights, smells, and sounds of their neighborhood. Anything out of the ordinary can be upsetting. There are also kids looking to put the trick in trick-or-treat. It is best to keep trips outside short and to watch pets while they are out of reach.
The Right Fluff Pet Sitting wishes you and your furry ghouls and goblins a happy Halloween. Please have fun and be safe. Just a few precautions will ensure that it is an enjoyable night. For more tips, please continue to follow our blog.
Contributor Brandon Pettey lives in Texarkana, Texas where he is finishing a degree in English through A&M-Texarkana. He has a one-year-old Golden Retriever named Ivy and a thirteen-year-old rescue cat named Bella. Contact him at brandoncpettey[at]yahoo[dot]com for great deals on content management help.