Tips To Make Halloween A Safe And Stress-Free Day For Your Pets

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Halloween can be a festive and fun time for children and families.

For pets, trick-or-treating and costumes are more stressful than fun.

Jemma McKee, manager of Camp Bow Wow Rockland, gave CBS2's Andrea Grymes and Cindy Hsu some tips on how to create a safe and stress-free Halloween for your furry friend.

If you're dressing up your pet:

• Costumes should not constrict the animal's movement, hearing, or sight
• They should not impede their ability to breathe, bark, or meow
• Take a closer look at his or her costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that they could choke on
• Watch out for ill-fitting outfits which can get twisted on external objects on your pet and lead to injury
• Putting make-up or face paint on your pet can be harmful

When your pet is around candy:

• Candy bags are strictly for the enjoyment of trick-or-treaters
• Chocolate can be dangerous to pets
• Give pets their own Halloween candy by treating them to their favorite dog or cat snacks
• Watch out for edible items like pumpkins or candy corn

McKee also advises that you should not take your pets trick-or-treating. Neighborhood lawn decorations may be dangerous if your pet bites or tries to eat one of them.

In:
• Halloween