The spooky season is upon us, and after a difficult year last year, we are more eager than ever to celebrate Halloween with our pets. There is nothing—we repeat, NOTHING—that makes us happier than seeing a dog (or an especially patient cat) struttin’ around in a pet Halloween costume, whether they’re dressed as a little old lady or a fur-ocious lion or a creepy character from a horror movie. And we’re betting you feel the same.
From the cutest pet Halloween costumes and delectable DIY pet treats to simple decorating ideas and pet safety advice, we’ve got everything you need to do Halloween up right with your fur kid this year.
We've organized our Halloween guide to make things easy:
Howl-worthy Pet Halloween Costumes
Overwhelmed by options? Take our pet Halloween costume quiz to help you narrow down choices.
Still not sure (or just want to scroll through cute pix of pets in costumes)? Explore some more of our faves:
No Tricks, Just Treats
Halloween Treats for Pets
Spook-ify Your Space
Planning on hosting a Halloween party for two and four-legged guests? Hayley Mehalco, founder of Puppy Parties NYC and expert in all things pet parties, suggests choosing décor around a specific theme or color palette. Try these for a boo-tiful bash:
- Ghostly, not ghoulish: Go for a clean, all-white look and consider elements like a balloon garland in varying shades of gray and white.
- “Bell, Book and Candle”: Play off of the classic film with plenty of old-school, haunted glamour. Think (unlit!) candles and faded, mismatched velvet fabrics you can score at discount fabric stores.
- Black and orange: This classic Halloween color palette is especially easy and budget-friendly to pull off with tons of supplies available at party and craft stores.
Whether your Halloween decor is classic, cute or sends out some serious serial killer vibes, you’ve got to think about your pet’s safety:
- Avoid electrical wires (these make for terrible chew toys). If you do include string lights, use a battery operated set and hang them out of reach of pets.
- Use heavy-duty tape to hang decorations instead of tacks that can hurt pet paws if they fall out of the wall.
- Skip the fog machine. The accompanying fluid can be toxic to pets.
- Use battery-powered faux candles instead of lighting real candles that can easily be knocked over by unruly tails.
Haunt Safely
Yes, Halloween is super fun, but with everything going on—from the costume parties, to the trick-or treaters knocking on your door every 5 minutes to all that candy lying around—it’s also a ripe opportunity for accidents to happen. (Not to freak you out, but it’s true). Having a ghoulish get-together? With guests coming and going, your cat might slip out the door without anyone knowing. The incessant door knocking or door-bell ringing on All Hallows Eve? That might stress your dog out and send them running for cover. All those yummy candies in shiny packages? It’s enough to tempt even the most well-behaved pets. And unfortunately, many popular Halloween treats are not only unhealthy for your pet but can be truly dangerous.
Freshen up on your pet safety knowledge with these quick reads:
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