Cats and dogs, and some other pets, don't always enjoy the fun spirit of Halloween the way most of us mere humans do. While we tend to get excited and go romping out into the neighborhood trick-or-treating many of our animal friends find this time quite stressful. Your pet doesn't realize that the costumes and sounds are make-believe and that the people behind those getups are just that … people. You may find that your animal will panic when you answer the door and they hear all the loud "trick-or-treat" yelling and laughing.

If you're having a party at home or invite trick-or-treaters to your door, one of the best ways to keep your pet, and others who are around or come to the door, safe is to remove him from the situation completely. The best thing to do is put your pet in another room with the door shut while the festivities are going on, or put a baby or dog gate up to just keep them away from the main area. Of course, make sure they have their own treats and toys and are comfortable. If their anxiety tends to be extreme you could consider a kennel for the night but that can be a little expensive.

While many animals will freak out from all the holiday hoopla, there are just as many who love all the company, fun and happy emotions. There are some things you can do to help your little socialites join in the fun safely. Some like to answer the door with you, they aren't bothered by the costumes and love all the attention they get from the kids who come to the door. To be sure they don't dart out the door, put a leash on them and keep it around your wrist while you both hand out the treats. You may want to keep the leash short so they don't jump up on the kids or run toward them too quickly. Some children are afraid of animals, or just don't like them, and you wouldn't want either the child or your pet to be traumatized by a bad reaction. Keeping your pet on a short leash will let everyone enjoy the night.

If you have kids of your own who will be bringing back sacks or buckets of treasure from the night, you'll have to pay careful attention to your pets while you're sorting out the treats. You have to make sure that all that yummy temptation, especially the chocolate treats, is out of reach of your pet. Cats and dogs can't digest chocolate safely and even the tiniest amounts can be deadly. I'm sure some of you have pets that have had chocolate and been fine, so have I; (one of my cats would come running, out of nowhere, whenever a chocolate snack was brought out; she'd be nowhere to be found if it wasn't chocolate) however, that doesn't mean their systems will be able to handle it every time. To be on the safe side, sort and keep the candy up where it can't be reached.

You know your pet better than anyone. As the "parent" to your pet, you know his/her temperament better than anyone else; you'll know the amount of anxiety or pleasure your pet will experience and what distance to keep him/her at. 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.

© Kate Lickey October 25, 2009