With the Halloween spirit coming upon us, so many of us want to include our pets in all the activities. However, deciding if your pet enjoys all the excitement is more important. A good question to ask yourself is, “Does my pet thrive on excitement or does my pet tend to seek cover during exciting times”? If you are not sure then best to only include your pet in activities you know will be ok and gradually work his way into more exciting ones.
Costumes
Who doesn’t love the look of an adorable pumpkin faced pooch! Today there are endless choices of costumes we can purchase or make for our pets. When you are deciding which one for your pet, here are a few considerations.
- Will this be safe around my pets face, neck, and ears?
- Can my pet use the washroom easily?
- If my pet eats or chews on any part, will that be ok?
- Will my pet be too hot in this costume?
- Most importantly, is my pet going to be the most adorable pet around!
The Sweet Tooth and Your Pet
In addition to costumes on Halloween comes of course the sweet parade of candy! Chocolates, gums, licorice, toffees, and caramels to name a few. The list is endless at Halloween and the candy dishes are full! Letting your pet have a piece of candy is not safe. Candy contains ingredients such as xylitol, and of course chocolate which are both toxic to pets. Keep dishes out of accidental reach and for a sweet treat your pet will love, try one of our home-made sweets below.
Home-Made Holiday Sweets just for Pets
Howl-O-Ween Pumpkin Dream Sweet
- 1 cup cooked pumpkin
- 2 cups flour
- 1 egg
Heat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together. Knead and roll out ½” thick. Cut into desired shapes. Cook for 30 min.
Soft Treats for Soft Hearts
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup cooked pumpkin
- 1 egg
- ½ cup applesauce
Heat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together. Knead and roll out ½” thick. Cut into desired shapes. Cook for 18 min.
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Delight
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 2tbsp peanut butter (with no xylitol)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together. Knead and roll out ½” thick. Cut into desired shapes. Cook for 35 min.
Fireworks
And lastly, but certainly not least of all, is fireworks! We love our fireworks at Halloween, but our pets are not always of the same mind! To help your pet during fireworks here are some helpful ways to cope.
- Take your dog for a long walk on the day fireworks are planned. This will help to tire him out and when physical energy is depleted it is easier to cope with mental stress.
- Keep your pet indoors.
- Keep all your blinds and curtains closed to minimize bright flashing lights.
- Turn on the television or music to have background noise playing.
- Have a comfortable place for your pet to retreat to and feel safe.
- Update all microchips and ID tags just in case your pet does escape and feels like he needs to run. Make sure your pet is wearing his collar!
Finally, remember Halloween is about having fun for people, not all pets want to join in with the Halloween fun. So, keep your pet’s personality in mind when planning events and sometimes it is best for pets to stay home.