Halloween can be a fun and tasty holiday for people—but not so much for our pets. Constantly opening the door for trick-or-treaters, unusual costumes and noises can often put animals on edge. Here are some ideas for keeping your cat or dog safe and serene on Halloween.

When expecting trick -or-treaters or party guests, put your dog or cat in a quiet place away from the door. This will help prevent them from getting worked up.

Keep bowls and bags of candy far out of reach. Chocolate and the sweetener xylitol—often found in gum and peanut butter—can be very toxic to dogs and cats. Kids should also be reminded not to feed candy to pets.

If you’re putting your pet in costume, make sure they feel comfortable in it before taking them out. If the costume has bells, noisemakers or strings they can scare your pet or pose a choking hazard.

Keep your pet indoors on Halloween night! This is especially important for black cats, who can be targeted during the holiday. Also, make sure your pets are microchipped or have a collar with current identification in case they get scared and run off.

If you’d like to schedule an appointment to get your pet microchipped or have further questions about Halloween safety, give us a call at (203) 816-6325.

Got a furry Frankenstein? A doggy Dracula? Trump with a tail? Whatever it is, submit a photo of your costumed animal companion for a chance to win an awesome pet gift basket!

Head over to our Pet Costume Contest Facebook post and submit your photo in the comments to enter the contest. Then share the post with your friends and family to get as many likes as possible! The pet with the most likes will be our gift basket winner (but you’ll have to pick it up for them because, you know, no opposable thumbs!).

Hurry, submit your pet’s photo today so it can get as many votes as possible! Contest ends November 1st – we can’t wait to see your dressed-up pets!