Want your pet to be part of the spooky fun this fall but aren’t sure how to include them in the action? Your essay service fairy is helpful in more ways than one! This time I am going to bless you with some ideas for costumes and tips on how to make sure your pet enjoys stressless trick-or-treating.
As a responsible pet owner and a decent person, you should accept a situation when your pet is not okay with dressing up. In that case, you can do no better than to respect their wishes. It’s great to give your furry buddy an opportunity to be part of the fun and bask in all the attention and admiration, but make sure that you do it for their sake as much as you do it for yours.
Of course, when your pet becomes anxious, scared, or skittish, tries to remove the costume, makes displeased noises, walks unnaturally, or point blank refuses to move, the message is pretty clear. However, Dr. Judy Morgan, a nationally renowned holistic veterinarian, alerts you to some less obvious signs that your pet might be distressed by the costume: excess yawning, “air licking,” lowered tail, the whites of your pet’s eyes becoming visible, or eyes appearing buggy and red. Please make sure your pet is relaxed and comfortable wearing anything before you go online and spend your money on anything we suggest here.
Barbara Davis, a certified dog behavior consultant and a founder of a dog training company, encourages you to be alert to potentially dangerous situations even if your fluffball is chill about the costume and enjoys it. For instance, a costume might mask an animal’s natural body language. “A dog without a costume may perceive your costumed dog as weird at best and a threat at worst, which may result in unprovoked attacks or fights,” warns Davis.
Some items can change your pet’s perception of the world around them. For example, headgear limits visibility and impairs your pet’s hearing ability. A loose costume can be a tripping hazard. Attire that is too tight restricts movement and can cause overheating, which is particularly dangerous for short-nose breeds. Also, it would be best if you kept an eye on your pet’s interaction with costume and accessories: don’t let them chew on buttons, metal clasps, ribbons, sequins, or other details that can create a choking hazard or injure their stomach. Make sure the fancy dress doesn’t prevent your pet from moving freely, eating, drinking, or going to the toilet.
You know your pet better than anyone. Keep their idiosyncrasies in mind when you choose a costume, and make sure your furry friend feels okay once it’s on. That’s it for the spooky part. Now, let’s get to the fun bit. Here is what your pets could do this year.
Masquerade as fantastic beasts
Adding something small can go a long way. For example, black wings on your Chihuahua’s back miraculously turn it into the Angel of Death, and a rainbow horn on your rabbit’s head makes for an adorable unicorn. A pair of leathery wings turns your iguana into a dragon, and even your cat will look particularly infernal with tiny devil’s horns. Bonus points if your kitty is black. But then again, every night is Halloween with such a treasure in your house.
To take this theme a step further, how about turning your dog into Cerberus with the help of two additional plush heads? You two can dress up as Hagrid and Fluffy, the three-headed dog. If you want a classier look, don Lucius Malfoy’s blond wig and transform your floppy-eared doggy into Dobby with the help of a dirty pillowcase (please don’t be disgusting and use paint to create the “dirty” effect).
Carry a rider
A funny puppet rodeoing on the back of your pug is a more light-hearted version of a Halloween costume, and already a classic. However, you can always put a darker spin on it with a headless rider or the Grim Reaper. There is also a classy version with a knight that looks fabulous on hunter and shepherd breeds, whereas a jockey looks particularly stunning on the sleek feline backs.
Don’t stop at likening your pet to a horse. Get creative! Elephant with a howdah, donkey with Sancho Panza, or bantha with a Tusken Raider on its back – the sky is the limit.
Disguise as other animals
This is a theme of its own in the costuming world. Butterfly pugs, lion kitties, teddy-bear poodles, bumblebee Guinee pigs, crocodile Doxies, llama sighthounds, and other, even more exotic hybrids flood the streets on All Hallow’s Eve. The best way to win this type of costume is to play into your pet’s strengths. For example, long legs, floppy ears, a particular head shape, or a coat of a matching color. Alternatively, you can flip the cards and create a comedic effect with intentional disparity.
Be delicious
Dressing pets up as food is also insanely popular – because they are so precious and lovely you could eat them, obviously! Hot dogs, cheeseburgers, macarons, pumpkin spice lattes, cupcakes, M&Ms, sushi, Tootsie Rolls, bananas, or the entire Happy Meal sets – there is a costume for pets of all shapes and sizes. Although, in the spirit of the night, isn’t it supposed to be something scary or at least yucky? I don’t know. I’m dressing up my white cat as a garlic head this year so that no vampire can come near me.
Bring horror to life
If all of the above seems too fluffy and cozy for the spooky night, you can always turn your pet into something terrifying with a little bit of paint. Creative body art and accessories can help you produce anything from a skeleton horse to Frankenstein’s dog to roadkill. If that’s the route you choose, make sure to use non-toxic washable paints – we don’t want this to turn into a real horror story, do we?
If you are not too keen on DIY, many ready-made costumes are available that help you turn your Mister Fluffy into Mister Murder Mittens: Michael Myers, Chucky, or Freddy Krueger.
Embody Disney characters
From bichon Ewok to greyhound imperial walker, from Genie corgi to catnip Jack Sparrow, you always have a choice for the entire themed party. Whether you prefer the timeless charm of early cartoon heroes like Donald Duck or Goofy, Disney renaissance classics with Aladdin and Little Mermaid, or recent hits like Encanto and Soul, there is a pet costume for that – or even a pair for you and your adorable sidekick.
Stay professional
Doctors, mail carriers, executives, police officers, thieves, nuns, firefighters, cooks, and even royalty – every profession has its uniform or at least a distinct style, which becomes more evident than ever when Halloween is behind the corner. If this works for humans, it should work for their best friends too!
Stick with the classics
Pumpkins, vampires, spiders, ghosts, and all kinds of monsters have been staples of Halloween costumed parties well before mass culture blessed us with a cornucopia of options. And you know what? I think anyone looks fabulous in Dracula’s cloak, be it a cat or a hedgehog.
Be superheroes
Which they genuinely are! From rescue dogs to support peacocks, animals do some literal and emotional heavy lifting to keep us from harm’s way all year round. Imagine the world without them? Now it’s getting scary. Honestly, we don’t deserve them. The least we can do this night is to celebrate their contribution to our lives. And you know what? I think your dog should be Batman this year. You go as Robin – fair is fair.
Accessorize subtly
You can get in the holiday spirit without dressing your pet in a full costume. A collar, a toy, a treat, or a cage can be an elegant, understated homage to your favorite movie, game, or book. Some examples are a Death Star pet carrier, MIB-inspired Orion’s Belt cat collar, or a Pennywise squeaker toy for your dog. Sometimes half of the costume is already there, as in the example below.
Of course, these are just trends you can work on to create a unique style ideal for your pets – or all of you together! All pictures illustrating every point are borrowed from Bored Panda, so check this resource out for more inspiration. There are tons of options – either ready-made or creatively executed with DYI to impress everyone at the party and steal the show from humans. May your nights be spooky and fun, and may harm come to no one!
