In gearing up for Halloween night (actually some people’s favorite event), there are ways to protect your precious pets from night horrors and frightening trick-or-treaters.

Thank you to PetMD for the helpful tips on Halloween:

·       Trick or treat candy is NOT for your pet. As most have been told, chocolate, especially baking or dark, is poisonous to animals,. There is no candy that will be good for your animals. The safe way is to stick to their dog/cat food instead of venturing out.

·       Don’t leave pets out in the yard. Some mean pranksters will play their tricks on your animal and have been known to torture or hurt your pet.

·       Keep your pets away from the front door. With the door opening and closing, they could rush out. Not only that, the screaming of kids and constant doorbell rings can really frighten your pet.

·       If possible, keep your outside cats indoors for a few days before and after Halloween. Due to the “myth” of black cats, they are often subjects of vicious pranks. In fact, some shelters do not adopt black cats out in the month of October for that reason. Good to know.

·       Be careful of lit pumpkins. If you have a curious cat (or dog), they may knock the pumpkin over and get burned.

·       In kindness to your pet, DON’T dress them in costumes unless you know they will like it (or at least tolerate it). Not all cats and dogs like dressing as a witch or superman!

·       Last BUT not least, have your pets microchipped in case the horrible happens and they are separated from their home. Having a microchipped animal increases the ability to identify your pet and get him/her back in to their favorite home safely.

Ghosts and Goblins may frighten, but it is our job to keep the spine chilling horror away from our furry friends!

Happy Halloween to all!