Don't spook 'em: Tips to ensure your pets feel extra safe on Halloween

While Halloween is a time for spooky parties and fancy dress for humans, it is undoubtedly a stress-inducing time of year for pets. From an animal’s perspective, Halloween is a period of frightening noises, startling lights and streams of bizarrely dressed guests.

Both their home environment and the outdoors can change suddenly and drastically, resulting in tension and upset. Village Vets, a family owned and run practice with 10 clinics across Dublin and Meath has put together some top tips to help you ensure your pooch isn’t spooked this Halloween. 

Keep pets indoors. It’s likely that fireworks will be going off from early this evening. It is common for a panicked pet to start instinctively running when they hear a firework, and sometimes directly onto the road. Choosing to keep your pets indoors is by far the safest option, but if they are going outside, make sure their microchip is registered and details are correct.

Draw the curtains so your pets aren’t alarmed by the bright flashing lights from fireworks. Play calming music, or have the TV slightly louder than usual, as this will help to drown out noises from loud bangs that may cause discontent.

Give them their own cosy space. Whether it be trick-or-treaters or guests arriving at a party, it is likely that your pet will be met with unfamiliar faces this Halloween. Consider setting your pet up in their own private room, or cosy den, so they can feel safe and secure.

Be mindful about your pet’s feelings if dressing them up. Many animals feel uncomfortable while wearing costumes. If being dressed up does induce anxiety, do not force your animal to wear the costume, and always ensure it is breathable and does not restrict their ability to move freely.

Tricks, not treats! While over-indulging during Halloween is nice for us, it is important to keep our four-legged companions away from sweet treats as they are toxic to animals.