Unlike their owners, cats and dogs do not always enjoy the fun spirit of Halloween. While we humans tend to get excited and go romping out into the neighborhood, frolicking through fallen leaves, ringing doorbells and bringing home the rewards of our labor in the form of sweet treats, many of our animal companions find this time quite stressful.

Your pet does not realize the costumes and sounds are make-believe and the people behind those getups are just that…people. You may find that your animal will panic when you answer the door for trick-or-treaters or when you dress up in your Halloween costume.

Keeping Your Easily Agitated Pets Safe from Harm

If you’re hosting a party in your home or invite trick-or-treaters to your door, one of the best ways to keep Fido (and those who are visiting) safe is to remove him from the situation completely. You can kennel your animal somewhere else for the night or put them in a room that is off limits to guests. If your cat or dog is normally skittish around people, it is best to keep them away from all the commotion on Halloween. 

While many animals will freak out from all the holiday hoopla, there are some who love it just as much, if not more than you do. Here are some tips to allow your people loving, socialite pet to get involved in the festivities in a safe way.

Let them enjoy your visitors – from a distance.

You may find that your pet is not bothered by the costumes at all. Maybe your puppy or kitty likes to go to the door and welcome your guests. If this is the case, make sure he or she does not dart out the door while you’re handing out treats. Try leashing your animal within a safe distance from the door so they can enjoy the guests while remaining safe inside.

This will also help the children who like to see the animals but don’t want to touch them or be close to them. Because animals scare some children while others get very excited and want to run toward them and be the aggressor, a leashed animal will help you stay in control of the situation and allow both the children and your pet to enjoy the experience.

Candy and Pets Do Not Mix

If you have children who will be trick-or-treating, you will have to pay careful attention to your pets once you return home for the night with the kids’ treats. While sorting and eating the goodies from the evening, make certain that all candy, especially chocolate, is out of the cat or dog’s reach. Chocolate, even in the tiniest amounts, can be deadly to animals. Refrain from letting your little ones dump their trick-or-treat bags and buckets on the floor to sort their candy. Instead, head to the dining room table or a counter to pick through the yummy treats.

You Know Your Pet Better Than Anyone

As the “parent” to your pet, you know his or her temperament better than anyone else. If this is your first Halloween with a pet, don’t be surprised if he or she doesn’t find the day as pleasurable as the other members of the family. Keep these simple, yet often overlooked safety tips in mind this year. By taking simple precautions beforehand to prepare for the night, you can ensure everyone in the family and all your guests have a healthy and safe Halloween.

Affiliate Disclosure

This is a fun project that you may want to break up across a couple of days, so be sure to start a few days before Halloween. Mom, you can join in the fun as well and make a Halloween wreath of your own too!

Material List

• Paper Plate (One per child/adult)
• Scissors
• Leaves
• Glue Sticks
• Orange Construction Papers
• White Construction Paper
• Black Construction Paper
• Washable Black Marker
• Black Yarn (optional)

Adult Preparation: (To Be Done Prior to Actual Wreath Making)

Cut the center from each paper plate prior to giving one to each child. These will be the base for the homemade wreaths.

Day 1: Grab the kids and head outdoors.

Gather as many fallen leaves of different shapes and colors as you can find. Once you’ve collected enough leaves to cover each paper plate, head back inside and glue them to the paper plates. You can glue the leaves to cover the entire plate, randomly around the plate or even as a border around only the edge, whichever you prefer. Once you’ve glued the leaves to the paper plate, leave the plates to dry for 24 hours or at least overnight.

Day 2: Creativity

Depending on how much time you have to complete this project you can have the children do the next step after the leaves have been glued on, while you’re waiting for them to dry or you can make another day of it.

Let the children draw Halloween images on the construction paper. Here are some ideas for each color of paper:

• Orange – Pumpkins (Use the black marker to draw the face on their pumpkins)
• White – Ghosts, Mummies, Bones
• Black – Cats, Witch Hats (You can use the yarn to put a tail on the cat and hair on the witches head if you’d like to put that under the hat)

Once the children have picked out and drawn which decorations they’ll be using, carefully cut them out and paste them to the wreath.

Tip: Pre-placement (before gluing) will give the child an idea of what the wreath will look like once it is all glued together. When the children are happy with the way the decorations are placed, it’s time to glue them to the leaves.

Again, allow the decorations to dry completely.

Day 3: Decorating Time

Congratulations! You’ve made your very own homemade Halloween wreath. Enjoy your child’s creation by hanging it on the front door or his or her bedroom door for all your friends and family to see and admire.

For more Halloween Crafts, Recipes, Decorating Ideas and Costume Ideas visit Halloween for Kids.

Affiliate Disclosure