Frightening Festivities, Part One.

There is much excitement at the moment with the build up to Halloween and Bonfire Night (dare I mention Christmas?)  Although exciting for us, Halloween and Bonfire Night can be very frightening and even dangerous for our pets and wild animals.  In our own preparation for Halloween and Bonfire Night we should consider the feelings of our pets, to help you out here are some useful safety tips for Halloween (Bonfire Night safety to follow in good time)

Halloween

On Halloween night, the door bell is ringing and strangers in funny costumes are outside in the dark, this can be very daunting for dogs and cats.  Help combat their fear by settling them in a nice quiet room with everything they need and plenty of distracting toys.  Keep them calm and reassured.

It is important to keep cats in for the night as there will possibly be lots of people and activity on the streets which can be very scary, I am always weary of bad things happening to cats on Halloween as well so bear this in mind.  Ensure they don't dart out of the door when you are handing out sweets to Trick or Treaters.  It is up to YOU to take responsibility for your pets safety.

Halloween brings lots of sweets and chocolate (if you're lucky) and it's important to make sure your pets don't get hold of any of this.  Remember, chocolate is poisonous to some animals and sweet and chocolate wrappers can cause your pet to choke.

If you're having a party this Halloween make sure your pets are kept safe and reassured in a room away from loud music, keep them away from rowdy children (and adults) and ensure they aren't able to sample the food or drinks.

Dressing up on Halloween is all part of the fun and some people love to dress their pets up as well, just remember that your pet may not be very receptive to this and may be frightened, uncomfortable and possibly even irritated (I used to make Lucky wear a coat in the winter but the withering looks she gave me expressed exactly how she felt about that!)  Any costumes with masks attached are NOT a good idea either.  If your pet doesn't want to be a pumpkin don't force them!