Halloween Costumes for your Pets
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Americans young and old love
Halloween. They dress up in scary or funny clothes
and try to shock one another silly.
Do we have some interesting ideas when considering a
Halloween costume for your
pet.
Lately, another member of the household is sticking
its snout into the festivities: the family pet.
Sales of costumes made especially for Fido and Muffy
are flying off retail shelves.
What's more, the trend of dressing pets in Halloween
costumes such as Spiderman or Dracula seems to
really have, well, legs. Diana Krohn, spokeswoman
for
Buy Costumes (Over 10,000 Costumes - Why Shop Anywhere Else?) - watch before you buy! BuyCostumes.com, says her company's sales of
pet
costumes have exploded, up 300 percent this year
over last.
The fad is much more popular among dog owners than
people with cats. Krohn says her company sells 10
dog duds for every cat costume.
That's unsurprising. Halloween seems much more
suited to the canine personality – fun loving,
sociable, eager to please – than to notoriously
fastidious and uncooperative felines. Cats, frankly,
don't have time for such foolishness.
Dos and don'ts of dressing up your pet (dogs and
cats)
If you plan to dress your dog up, however, some
caveats apply. Costumed canines can run into some of
the same kinds of problems that small costumed kids
face.
Follow these
guidelines for kids safety on Halloween.
Heed this advice from the American Pet Products
Manufacturing Association:
·
Make sure the pet costume doesn't restrict breathing
or vision. You don't want them running into hazards
because they can't see them.
·
Check to see that the costume isn't too loose.
Trailing fabric could hang your pet on a snag or
fence top.
·
Don't leave costumed pets unattended. They may get
into unexpected trouble and need quick help to free
themselves.
·
If a pet resists donning a Halloween costume, don't
insist on it. This can stress nervous animals.
·
Also remember that sugary Halloween treats aren't
good for your animals. So keep a tight watch on Fido
to make sure he doesn't get into the
trick-or-treats.
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