Here are some quick tips for Halloween safety this year:
- Keep the candy out of reach of the paws of pets. Chocolate—especially dark chocolate—can be deadly for dogs and cats. Xylitol, an artificial sweetener, is also a deadly ingredient in some candy. Ingested wrappers can also cause intestinal blockages.
- Exercise care if you are using candles or electric lights for decorations. Burns can result from a too curious pet or from chewing electrical cords.
- If you cannot resist the urge to dress your pet up, please make sure that it does not pose a choking hazard and is not too tight. Never leave your pet unattended in a costume and check often for signs of stress. If your pet simply will not tolerate being dressed up, consider a festive collar instead.
- Keep pets away from the front door. A constantly ringing doorbell and people in unfamiliar costumes could cause undue stress and cause an otherwise friendly pet to bite or bolt. Make sure your pet is wearing identification. Consider having your pet microchipped if you haven’t already done so.
- Exercise extra caution if you have a black cat, keeping them indoors if at all possible. Halloween poses a risk for cruel treatment by pranksters. Some shelters will not even allow black cats to be adopted around this time of year for that very reason.
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