Halloween Pet Safety

Think Halloween is all fun and games? This spooky-silly holiday may have some serious consequences for your pets. According to Heather Black of the American Humane Association, "Pets may find strangers coming to the door dressed as ghosts and goblins a little too scary." American Humane suggests keeping pets away from the commotion in a quiet room, so that the constant stream of trick-or-treaters doesn't stress them out (or give them a chance to escape).

• Open flames can cause a curious pet's fur to catch fire (youch!), so choose artificial, battery-powered jack-o-lanterns to decorate your home.
• Though it might be tempting to let your pet in on the celebratory fun, don't feed them candy. Chocolate especially can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, so you'll just have to eat it all yourself instead (oh, darn).
• Keep black cats inside, as they could fall victim to mean-spirited prankers or witches. Just kidding about the witches. Probably.

Finally, a word about costumes. We know, we know; it's tempting. Cats look amazing dressed as vampires. And who can resist a canine Batman? But American Humane cautions pet owners to select costumes that are comfortable and safe for animals, with nothing tight around their necks that could be accidentally pulled taut, and nothing that would cover their faces in a way that obstructs breathing.

And for goodness' sake, allow your pets some dignity. Choose only awesome costumes.

Tags: Cats, dogs, halloween, halloween costumes, HalloweenCostumes