October 28, 2004

Keep your pets safe and inside on Halloween

Halloween is one of the best holidays for kids, but it can be hard on pets. The good news is that by taking a few simple precautions, Halloween can be a “treat” for pets, instead of a tricky proposition. Humane Society Silicon Valley offers pet owners the following precautions to ensure a safe Halloween for their pets:

Keep pets safely inside, away from trick-or-treaters and other Halloween activities. Too many strangers in strange garb can be scary for a dog or cat. This will ensure that pets won’t become frightened or feel threatened at the sight of costumed children. Pets will stay calmer if they are kept away from the door and there’s less of a chance that they will slip through your legs and run outside.

If you have a black cat, you might face special challenges. The mythology about black cats being connected to witches can lead strange people to do strange things. Black cats are at extra risk of being teased, or even abducted. Even kids who mean no harm may yell when they see a black cat, scaring the cat much more than the cat is scaring them! Keep your cats inside several days before and several days after Halloween to reduce the risk of cruelty-related incidents.

Make sure your dog or cat is wearing proper identification. If for any reason they escape and become lost, you increase the chances that they will be returned to you.

Be sure that decorations are safely out of reach of your pets. Remember that pets find many non-edible objects attractive as chew toys or potential snacks. Cats are particularly attracted by string-like decorations, including ribbons, streamers, and Halloween spider-webs. Items like confetti can fall to the floor and be eaten by cats or dogs, and may cause gastrointestinal obstructions or poisoning.

Both cats and dogs may be seriously frightened by decorations that offer unexpected surprises including sound or movement. Again, keep your pets safely away from all the Halloween action…they would rather be left out than scared out of their wits!

Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets: Chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. Stock up on dog biscuits and catnip toys to give your pets for a special Halloween treat with no tricks attached!

Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: Pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.

Don’t dress the dog or cat in a costume unless you know he or she loves it. Otherwise, it puts too much stress on the animal. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn’t annoying or unsafe; it should not constrict her movement, hearing or ability to breathe or bark. Also, there should not be small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on. Be careful not to obstruct your pet’s vision; even the sweetest animal can get snappy when he or she can’t see.

For more information please visit the Web site at www.hssv.org or call (408) 727.3383.