Spooky season is upon us! Although there are some cracking costumes out there, nothing quite gives us a fright like our pets being in danger. We don’t want to spoil your Halloween plans, but you should be aware of the hazards in your home for your pets.

Halloween can be overwhelming for our furry companions as the constant flurry of strangers outside the house and knocking on the front door throughout the evening can make your pet feel anxious. Why not leave any treats outside your house with a ‘help yourself’ sign so trick-or-treaters can help themselves. It‘s a good idea to make sure your treat box has a secure lid to stop any other neighbourhood animals from digging in!

If you live in an area with lots of trick-or-treaters or are considering throwing a Halloween party, make your pet a den in a quiet part of the house away from the front door. If there’s lots of noise outside, close the curtains too.

To avoid causing dogs any stress, take them for their evening walk before it gets dark to minimise the chances of bumping into groups of people in fancy dress. Try to encourage cats to come inside earlier by moving their dinner time, and make sure you have litter trays ready if you’re shutting them in for the night. Double-check all microchip details are up to date, just in case there is an escapee!

Most pet owners are only too well aware of the danger chocolate poses to their pets, but did you know a lot of other sweet treats contain substances which are toxic to pets too? While chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic even in small amounts, sweets containing xylitol can also be dangerous for your pets. Call us immediately if your pet ingests chocolate or anything containing xylitol.

We all love carving a pumpkin for Halloween and, as lovely as they look, once lit it’s best to keep them out of reach of your pets to avoid any burns. Don’t forget to dispose of your pumpkins properly once the holiday is over to prevent your pet from eating any mouldy or gone-off food.

Finally, as tempting as it may be, dressing pets up can be stressful and uncomfortable for them so our advice would be to avoid any Halloween costumes for pets.  

Find out more from the PDSA's Halloween survival guide for pets.