Frightfully fun ideas for a safe Howl-o-ween
Want to include your pets in some safe Halloween fun this year? While pets don’t usually receive treats going door to door, you can bring the fun inside and include everyone—even your pets! With ideas from pet-friendly decorating to pet-friendly activities and everything in between, we’ve got you covered!
Get creative with pet-friendly decorations. Don’t just decorate outside, bring the decorations inside and make them pull double duty as pet-ertainment. Stitch a jack-o-lantern face on a dog bed or turn a cardboard tombstone into a cat condo. With a little creativity, the ideas are endless. Just be sure to avoid decorations that could cause trouble for your pet, like spiderwebs or corncobs, which can be swallowed and cause obstruction. Keep any power cords tucked away because they are dangerous when chewed.
Costume time! Pets may not always enjoy costumes so limit the dress up to the two-legged members of the family. Get your pets in “spirit” with a decorated collar, harness or bandana.
Change trick-or-treat to hide-and-seek. Who needs to go trick-or-treating when you can hide yummy pet treats around the house and have your cute little monster find them. You can also play this game with children—just be sure to keep the candy out of your pet’s reach! Chocolate is toxic to pets, but even treats without chocolate can cause problems.
Screen a scary movie. Grab popcorn, your pet and the fam and get ready to be afraid! Your pet will love the extra snuggle time, but if they get bothered by the cinematic screams, consider putting them in a comfy space with their favorite toy or a special treat to happily chew the movie away.
Decorate a pumpkin. Carve, paint, etch—get creative with your pumpkin decorations! We’ve got pet-themed pumpkin ideas to get you started. Lit candles are one of the biggest holiday hazards, so keep jack-o-lanterns out of knocking-over reach, or better yet, opt for flameless candles.
Keep the scare out of your pet care! Be prepared in case of any holiday mishaps with unlimited Live Chat through the myVCA app,* where our licensed veterinary professionals are available 24/7 to answer all your pet health and wellness questions.
*Live Chat with a licensed veterinary professional is free for VCA clients through the myVCA mobile app, available at Apple’s App Store and Google Play.