It’s easy to go online and find tips for keeping kids safe during Halloween. But there aren’t enough for how to keep pets safe… and I want to remedy that. Safety is always on my mind because I’m an HVAC expert dog and I work with heating and cooling professionals who make safety their number one concern on any job they do. This makes me especially qualified to address pet safety concerns during the season. (Another qualification: I’m a dog.)
Olive’s 5 Best Halloween Safety Tips for Your Pets
- Keep candy out of reach: Most sugary treats are toxic to pets. Chocolate, for example, and any candy that contains artificial sweetners is dangerous for cats and dogs. Don’t leave the candy bowl down on the ground where your pets can reach it!
- Don’t force your pet to wear a costume if they don’t like it: Yes, doggy and kitty costumes are adorable and make for great opportunities to make all your friends on Facebook hit the “Like” button. But if pets don’t like the costume, you shouldn’t force them to wear it. The costume might be restricting their movements or ability to breathe.
- Be careful with the Jack O’Lantern: Safety with Jack O’Lanterns is important even for homes that don’t have pets because of the fire hazard. When you have a curious dog or cat that might knock over a carved pumpkin with a candle in it, you need to be especially careful. Either use artificial light or make sure the Jack O’Lantern is out of reach.
- Hide electrical wires: When decorating with Halloween lights, make certain that the wires aren’t exposed where pets might chew on them.
- Keep pets away from the door: If you live in a neighborhood with plenty of trick-or-treaters visiting ringing the doorbell throughout the evening, it’s a good idea to have your pets confined to another room with the door closed. All the activity during the night can really “spook” pets and make them dart outside. (This is also a good place to recommend that you have identity tags for all your pets.)
For more details, please visit the ASPCA page on Halloween pet safety.
I hope you and your dogs (and cats, if you insist) all have a great Halloween!
Stay safe,
Olive