Halloween is supposed to be fun and a little frightening, but the holiday can turn downright scary if your pet runs away.
Sudden noises and strange-looking costumes can spook your pet, causing them to bolt through the open door. The best idea is to always adorn your pet with a collar and identification tag, along with microchipping them.
“If you haven’t already licensed and microchipped your pet, now is the time – especially your cat,” said Nancy Hill, the Regional Director of SCRAPS. “SCRAPS reunites about 60% of dogs with their owners. That statistic for cats is only about 3% due to the lack of licensing and microchipping in cats.”
Here are some extra precautions to take this Halloween:
- Gauge your pet’s typical reaction while greeting visitors and decide if putting up a baby gate or leaving your dog or cat in a back room of the house would keep them calmer throughout the evening.
- Glow sticks can be punctured or broken open very easily by pets. The chemical inside isn’t toxic but can make your pet very sick.
- Your pet’s Halloween garb should not constrict his movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Be sure to try on costumes in advance—and if your furry friend seems distressed, you’ll want to ditch the mini-pirate hat and vest.
- That bowl of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms — especially dark or baking chocolate — can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems.
- A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.
SOURCE – SCRAPS press release, 2015
