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.
