Halloween Safety for Pets:
15 Ways to Keep Dogs and Cats Safe

Halloween makes perfect sense to humans.

We decorate the house with skeletons, dress strangely, ring the doorbell repeatedly, and invite masked strangers onto the porch.

To a dog or cat, however, the evening may suggest that the household has finally lost control.

Add bowls of chocolate, candy wrappers, electrical decorations, candles, costumes, and an exterior door opening every 45 seconds, and Halloween creates some very real pet hazards.

Fortunately, you don't have to cancel Halloween or put your dog in protective custody all October. A little planning goes a long way.

Here are 15 ways to keep dogs and cats safer—and considerably less bewildered—on Halloween.

1. Keep the Candy Away From Pets

Start with the obvious one. The Halloween candy bowl belongs out of your pet's reach.

Chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats. The risk depends on the type and amount of chocolate consumed and the animal's size; darker chocolates generally contain more of the compounds that cause toxicity.

Some sugar-free candies and gums may contain xylitol, which is particularly dangerous to dogs and can cause severe poisoning.

Other treats may also contain ingredients that aren't appropriate for pets. The safest rule is simple:

Halloween candy is for humans.

Your dog will dispute this. Your dog is not an impartial authority.

2. Don't Forget the Candy Wrappers

The danger doesn't disappear once the candy is gone. Foil, plastic, and paper wrappers can be swallowed and may cause choking or gastrointestinal problems.

After trick-or-treating, don't leave candy bags on the floor. And check:

• Under sofas
• Beneath tables
• Children's bedrooms
• Backpacks
• Costume pockets

for abandoned candy and wrappers.

Children have an impressive ability to distribute candy throughout a house. Dogs have an equally impressive ability to locate it. This is not a collaboration you want to encourage.

3. Know What to Do if Your Pet Eats Candy

If you know or suspect that your pet has eaten chocolate, xylitol-containing candy, or another potentially toxic substance, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison-control service promptly.

Don't wait for symptoms to appear before seeking advice. If possible, keep the packaging so you can provide:

• Product name
• Ingredients
• Approximate amount eaten
• Time of ingestion
• Your pet's approximate weight

And don't induce vomiting or give a home remedy unless a veterinary professional specifically instructs you to do so.

The internet contains many enthusiastic suggestions. Your veterinarian knows which ones apply to your actual animal.

4. Create a Safe Room Before Trick-or-Treating Begins

For many pets, the safest and least stressful place on Halloween evening is a quiet room away from the front door. Set it up before trick-or-treaters arrive.

Include whatever normally helps your pet settle, such as:

• Bed
• Water
• Favorite toy
• Familiar blanket
• Litter box for cats
• Background music or other familiar sound

This isn't punishment. It's giving your pet somewhere predictable while the rest of the house behaves very strangely.

For some animals, this one step solves most Halloween problems.

5. Take Door-Dashing Seriously

Halloween can offer dozens of chances for a pet to escape.

Door opens.

Child screams “TRICK OR TREAT!”

Dog investigates. Cat makes a strategic decision.

Suddenly, somebody is running down the sidewalk wearing vampire teeth and carrying a leash. Prevent this before it starts.

Use an appropriate combination of:

• Closed interior door
• Baby gate
• Secure crate for crate-trained dogs
• Leash
• Separate room

Don't rely solely on telling your pet to stay. Halloween is not the ideal evening to discover that “stay” was more of a philosophical concept.

6. Check ID Tags and Microchip Information

Before Halloween, make sure your pet's identification is up to date. Check the collar and ID tag. Make sure the phone number is readable and accurate.

If your pet is microchipped, confirm that your current contact information is registered with the appropriate microchip registry.

Microchips don't prevent pets from escaping. They can help reunite lost pets with their owners when the registration information is up to date.

This is one of those five-minute jobs that is much nicer to do before you need it.

7. Don't Force a Pet to Wear a Costume

Some pets tolerate costumes. Some appear to enjoy the attention. Others communicate quite clearly that you have violated the terms of your relationship.

If you dress your pet for Halloween, make sure the costume:

• Fits properly
• Doesn't restrict breathing
• Doesn't interfere with movement
• Doesn't obstruct vision or hearing
• Doesn't prevent normal elimination
• Doesn't contain easily chewed or swallowed pieces

Supervise your pet while the costume is on. If your pet seems distressed, remove it.

Halloween photos are optional. Your cat's cooperation is even more optional.

8. Try the Costume Before Halloween

Don't introduce the full costume thirty seconds before guests arrive. Let your pet investigate it ahead of time. If your pet seems comfortable, try it briefly.

Watch for signs that the costume is causing problems, such as:

• Trying repeatedly to remove it
• Freezing
• Hiding
• Excessive panting
• Agitation
• Difficulty moving
• Chewing at costume pieces

A bandana or festive collar may be a better option for an animal that dislikes costumes.

The dog does not know you spent $34.99 on the lobster outfit. This information will not change the dog's position.

9. Keep Candles and Flames Away From Pets

A candle-lit jack-o'-lantern can become a problem when curious noses, wagging tails, or frightened animals enter the equation.

Keep open flames well out of reach. Flameless battery-operated candles are often a practical alternative, particularly in areas pets can access.

Also consider where you're placing:

• Lanterns
• Candle holders
• Fire pits
• Outdoor heaters

A cat does not need to deliberately knock over a candle. A cat simply needs to be a cat near a candle. Plan accordingly.

10. Secure Electrical Decorations

Halloween increasingly involves enough electrical equipment to illuminate a small theme park. Check cords, plugs, and decorations. Keep pets from chewing electrical cords.

Secure cords where practical and don't leave dangerous tangles in pet-accessible areas. Inspect decorations for damage before using them.

Also consider whether a flashing, moving, or noisy decoration could frighten your pet. The motion-activated skeleton screaming from the shrubbery may delight your eight-year-old.

Your Labrador did not approve this installation.

11. Be Careful With Small Decorations

Decorative spiders, eyeballs, plastic bones, fake body parts, glow products, and other small Halloween objects may look suspiciously like toys to pets.

Keep chewable or swallowable decorations out of paws and mouths. Be particularly cautious with:

• Small plastic pieces
• Batteries
• String
• Ribbon
• Fake cobweb material
• Glow sticks
• Decorative lights

Cats may be especially attracted to dangling or string-like decorations.

If something looks like a cat toy but absolutely should not become a cat toy, don't leave it where the cat can make the final decision.

12. Think Twice About Fake Cobwebs

Stretchy artificial cobweb decorations can pose risks for pets and wildlife. Pets may chew them or get tangled in the materials.

Outdoors, loosely placed webbing may also entangle birds and other animals. If you use artificial cobweb decorations, keep them controlled and away from places animals are likely to encounter them.

Or use decorations that don't depend on stringy material. Neighborhood spiders already provide this service at no charge.

13. Keep Pets Away From Halloween Party Food

A Halloween party may include:

• Alcohol
• Chocolate desserts
• Foods containing onions or garlic
• Grapes or raisins
• Fatty foods
• Bones
• Sugar-free foods containing xylitol
• Foods your individual pet should not eat

Ask guests not to feed the animals. This is especially important at family parties where several well-meaning people may each decide that one tiny bite can't hurt.

Your dog can end up with an entire dinner through individual acts of generosity. Keep party food out of reach and clear plates promptly.

14. Watch the Trash

Party trash can be even more appealing than the party food. Secure garbage containing:

• Food scraps
• Bones
• Candy
• Wrappers
• Foil
• Plastic
• Paper plates
• Wooden skewers
• Used napkins

Use a covered or inaccessible trash container if your pet is likely to investigate. Don't leave full trash bags sitting on the kitchen floor while you continue cleaning.

To you, that's garbage. To the dog, you've assembled a buffet and helpfully packaged it at nose level.

15. Pay Attention to Stress, Not Just Physical Hazards

Not every Halloween problem involves something toxic or sharp. Some pets simply find the evening frightening.

Doorbells.

Shouting children.

Masks.

Costumes.

Music.

Strangers.

Unfamiliar smells.

People appearing at the windows.

Repeated knocking.

A pet that normally loves visitors may react differently when the visitors are four feet tall and dressed as demons. Watch your pet's behavior.

If your pet is becoming overwhelmed, move them to a quieter, secure space. Don't force interaction.

And don't let guests—especially children—crowd, chase, or corner an animal.

Should Your Dog Go Trick-or-Treating?

Maybe. But don't assume your dog wants to come simply because the family is going. Consider:

• Your dog's temperament
• Comfort around crowds
• Reaction to costumes
• Leash manners
• Noise sensitivity
• Weather
• Length of the walk
• Visibility
• Neighborhood conditions

A calm, social dog may enjoy a short outing. An anxious or reactive dog may be much happier at home.

Halloween night is not a good time to work on your dog's fear of strangers by exposing the dog to 200 of them dressed as monsters.

What About Cats on Halloween?

Cats deserve special planning because an open front door can provide repeated escape opportunities. Keep indoor cats securely indoors.

If your cat is curious about the door or frightened by visitors, put it in a comfortable, closed room before trick-or-treating begins.

Include:

• Water
• Litter box
• Bed or hiding place
• Familiar items

Make sure everyone in the household knows the cat is in there and that the door needs to remain closed. Put a note on the door if necessary:

CAT INSIDE — PLEASE KEEP CLOSED

This is particularly useful in a busy household where somebody's cousin will otherwise open it looking for the bathroom.

Black Cats and Halloween

You may have heard alarming claims about black cats being at extraordinary risk around Halloween.

A lot of folklore surrounds this topic, and sweeping claims of widespread deliberate harm aren't well supported. But the ordinary Halloween risks still apply:

• Open doors
• Increased foot traffic
• Noise
• Crowds
• Vehicles
• Frightened animals

So the practical advice remains the same for all cats:

Keep them securely indoors and make sure their identification information is current. No mythology required.

Should Pets Be Outside During Trick-or-Treating?

In most cases, keeping pets securely inside during peak trick-or-treating activity is the simpler option.

Even pets that normally spend time in a fenced yard may encounter unusual:

• Noise
• People
• Costumes
• Decorations
• Gates opening
• Activity near the property

A frightened dog may behave differently than usual. Bring pets into a secure environment before the neighborhood gets busy.

Don't wait until the doorbell starts ringing. At that point, the evening has officially begun.

What About Pumpkins?

Plain cooked pumpkin is used safely in some pet diets, but that does not make the Halloween pumpkin display a snack bar.

Keep pets from eating:

• Moldy pumpkin
• Decorative pumpkin remnants
• Candles
• Wax
• Pumpkin stems
• Decorations attached to pumpkins

Old carved pumpkins can deteriorate rapidly. Dispose of them appropriately rather than leaving them where pets can investigate.

Your dog does not need to conduct quality control on a jack-o'-lantern that's been outside for a week.

What About Glow Sticks?

Keep glow sticks and glow jewelry away from pets. Pets may bite or puncture them. The contents can cause irritation and an extremely unpleasant taste, and chewed plastic itself can create additional concerns.

If a pet chews a glow product, contact your veterinarian or animal poison-control resource for guidance appropriate to the product and symptoms.

Also collect discarded glow bracelets after the party. What looks like garbage to you may look like tomorrow morning's cat activity.

If You're Having a Halloween Party

Give the pet plan as much thought as the food plan. Before guests arrive:

Feed pets normally.

Exercise dogs as appropriate.

Set up a quiet area.

Secure doors and gates.

Put candy out of reach.

Remove accessible hazards.

Tell guests not to feed the pets.

Then let the animal decide how social it wants to be. A dog who loves parties may happily supervise.

A cat may disappear under a bed at 5:57 p.m. and reemerge on November 3. Both are legitimate approaches.

A Five-Minute Pet-Safety Check Before Halloween Begins

Before the first trick-or-treater arrives, check:

Candy: Out of reach?

Trash: Secure?

Pet: Safely inside?

ID: Collar/tag current?

Door: Escape plan in place?

Costume: Comfortable, if wearing one?

Candles: Inaccessible or replaced with flameless alternatives?

Decorations: No accessible cords, strings, or small pieces?

Safe room: Ready if needed?

Done. Halloween may now commence.

Halloween Pet Safety Checklist

If Something Goes Wrong

If your pet eats something potentially toxic, don't rely on a wait-and-see approach. Contact your veterinarian or an animal poison-control service promptly.

Be ready to provide the animal's weight, what was eaten, approximately how much and when it happened.

For other emergencies—such as breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures, significant injury or severe distress—seek emergency veterinary care.

Keep your regular veterinarian's number and the nearest emergency veterinary clinic information accessible before a holiday.

Hopefully you'll never need either. That's the ideal use of emergency information.

The Bottom Line

Halloween isn't inherently bad for pets. It's just weird.

For one evening, the house fills with food they can't eat, objects they shouldn't chew, people they don't recognize, and a front door that apparently no longer understands the concept of being closed.

So make Halloween easier on them. Put candy away. Secure the trash. Control the front door. Use pet-safe decorating practices.

Don't force costumes. Give nervous animals somewhere quiet to retreat. And keep cats and dogs safely contained while the neighborhood is at its busiest.

Your pet does not need to understand Halloween.

Your pet just needs to get through it safely.

And perhaps receive an approved treat for tolerating the annual human breakdown in normal behavior.

Keep Going

To keep the human children safe once they head outside, see Halloween Safety Tips for Kids.

Hosting everyone at your house? Use Family Halloween Party Ideas to keep the party manageable.

And when chocolate, makeup, or fake blood ends up somewhere it shouldn't, head to Halloween Stain Removal.

For year-round advice about living safely with pets, visit Pets & Family.