Protect your pets from the candy collecting goblins

My boy in his ThunderShirt posing with his fearless sister.

Trick or Treat time is right around the corner, and while it’s great fun for kids dress up and collect candy, it can be a nightmare for many pets. Strange looking beings ringing the door bell and shouting loud greetings can send your skittish doggie pacing and drooling , while your scaredy cat hides under the bed.

Many cats will find a good safe hiding place and stay there until the “guests” stop coming, but some dogs will bolt out the door and take off into the night (or afternoon, depending on your neighborhood).

Here’s my friendly advice. If you have a pet that is sensitive to all this holiday activity, please be considerate and put them in a safe place while the goblins are about. Shutting your pet in your bedroom with a bowl of water and a favorite toy or two will make her feel better and keep her safe.

My male dog is terrified of fireworks and thunderstorms, so I purchased a “ThunderShirt” for him. When he’s wrapped up tight in his stylish shirt he is still nervous, but not terrified. I plan to put this on him while the trick or treaters are on the prowl. I’m also hoping for a nice fall day/evening so I can set up my lawn chair in the driveway and meet the kids before they ever ring the bell. This way my dogs are disturbed less and the kids get their treats faster and move on to the next stop.

As a bit of extra protection you should but a collar on your pet that includes an id with your phone number on it. Even if you don’t usually keep a collar on your pet in the house, at busy times like this it’s best to be prepared for the worst. If your beloved pet does slip out you have a much better chance of getting him back if the person who finds him knows who to call. Without an id your pet could wind up spending the night in a kennel with a bunch of other frightened animals.

With a little planning, you can enjoy handing out treats to the little beggars without traumatizing your furry family members.

WARNING: If you have little goblins bringing home treats, don’t let them share with your pets; chocolate is very toxic to both cats and dogs and Xylitol, a sugar substitute found in a variety of sugar-free and dietetic cookies, mints and chewing gum is proving highly toxic, even fatal, to snack-snatching dogs.