Leave dressing up to the kids

Halloween means spooky fun, but it also poses some truly frightening dangers to cats and dogs, so people should take precautions to make the day a treat, not a trick, for everyone.

Keep all sweets and treats out of animals’ reach, and make sure that children and guests know not to share them with animals. Many animals can’t resist sampling treats – wrappers and all – that contain toxic ingredients, such as chocolate and xylitol.

Candles and carved pumpkins can cause burns and start fires, so make sure they are out of reach, too, and can’t be knocked over.

Costumed visitors can make even the friendliest animals skittish and prone to bolting or biting. Stay with your animals in a quiet room, away from the door, and ensure that they’re microchipped and wearing collars with current ID tags, just in case.

Walk dogs before trick-ortreat time, and always keep animals indoors – left outdoors unattended, they’re targets for cruel people, especially at this time of year.

Costumes can impair animals’ ability to see, move, and breathe, and they pose a choking hazard. So leave dressing up to the children, and let cats and dogs be their naturally adorable selves. Jennifer White, media and partnerships co-ordinator, People for the Ethical Treatment

of Animals (PETA)