This party, straight from the United States, has been all the rage in France for several years now. Halloween has become the favorite time of young and old alike.

Children parade down the street, ring doorbells dressed in disguises, each scarier than the next. The famous “trick or treat” is chanted to whoever dares to open his door and beware of the unfortunate who will be cast a spell if he has no more treats to offer.
Those who are the least fond of this unusual fuss are our animals. Fear, stress, noises, this can make our faithful companions very uncomfortable.
A few safety rules must be respected in order to avoid many disappointments and spend the best of evenings in their company.

• Disguises, scary masks: desensitize them.

Your animal discovers you at the bend of a door, dressed in your most beautiful disguise and it is panic!
We must not forget that the climate established on Halloween is one of fear, but there is no need to traumatize your beloved animal!

Make him quietly sniff your mask before wearing it, the same for your disguise.

Dress in front of him, while speaking to him in a soothing voice. Preferably, do this during the day at first.

The ideal would be to wear your disguise in front of him a few days before so that he can get used to it.

Offer him his favorite natural treats to give a positive association when he shows interest and voila!

• Watch out for sweets!

Speaking of treats, those intended for humans are not necessarily intended for our animals (and vice versa! Well...that's up to you!)

Many of us have great gourmands or curious little ones at home and what could be better than a salad bowl filled with sweets available to enjoy?
Excess sugar is very bad for their health. Apart from the diabetes that this can promote, the consumption of a very common sweetener in candies (xylitol) is toxic for them.

Sweets are generally accompanied by packaging that our animals will not take the time to remove. The risk of occlusion is significant.

Chocolate is deadly to dogs. The higher the cocoa concentration, the higher the risk.

Be sure to keep all of this out of their reach. If you want to please them, natural treats exist and will be much better for their health and their taste buds! And why not a Halloween box to please them?

• Decorations, candles, glow sticks: danger!

Unusual objects bloom in the house. These objects can also be a source of stress for our animals.

Preferably put them out of reach.

A few fangs in a pumpkin that is rotting will not be toxic, but may cause some intestinal problems.

A slightly adventurous puppy or kitten might be attracted by the glow of a candle in a decorative object. If he knocks it over, he could be seriously burned or even set on fire.

Glow sticks or bracelets contain a toxic liquid. Be careful not to leave them lying around!

Disguising your animal is not necessarily useful.

Respect him and make sure he doesn't feel uncomfortable with this disguise on his back. He must be able to see correctly and not be hampered in his movements.
Pay attention to the elements that hang on the disguise. They could be ingested or pulled out.

A party-themed bandana or bow tie will do just fine. No need to look too far, Halloween has no meaning for them.

• Provide him with a quiet place.

A very sociable animal could be very happy to see so many people around him. But it is also an additional stress for all anxious animals by nature.

Disable your doorbell. This will already limit unwanted and strident noises.

Install a nice corner in a recessed and closed room. Many animals run away out of fear. A closed room will limit the risk of escaping through the front door.

Offer him an activity that will promote calming.
Licking activities allow the secretion of endorphins. By licking a lickimat , your cat or dog will naturally relax and not think about what can happen next.
A masticatory treat can have the same role. Your pet will be delighted to have a new thing to discover.
Why not a beef sirloin for example? Available in all sizes, it will delight the taste buds of young and old alike.

Dim the light a little and play soft music that will mask outside noise.

Keep your pets indoors, especially cat owners.
Unfortunately acts of cruelty are still carried out each year during this festival and cats are often taken to task, even more if it is a black cat !

Some shelters no longer put black cats up for adoption several days before Halloween, for fear of ill-intentioned people.

Make sure your pet is identified. Despite all the precautions taken, running away is possible. This will make it easier to find it.
As a reminder, the identification of pets is mandatory.

• The step not to forget: the moment of physical and mental expenditure.

If you have a dog, take the time to offer him a nice walk during the day.
Physical expenditure is important, as is mental expenditure.

Take him to a new place.

Give him time to go at his own pace and take in the smells. Flair activities take up a great deal of mental expenditure.

Why not invite his best friend over and enjoy a ride together?
Give him this precious moment in his eyes, HIS moment. It is important for his balance.

As mentioned above, Halloween is a time of stress for our animals.
A spent animal will be a more relaxed animal.
The management of emotions will then be easier for him and will prevent cases of bites, as we can see every year.

All of these security rules are relatively simple to implement. You just need to take the time.
With all these keys in hand, there is no doubt that you will spend a pleasant evening, while respecting the well-being of your animal.