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Putting Fido In A Costume Can Be A Fun Pet Project

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By KRISTEN LEVINE, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 20, 2007

Elvis wigs are all the rage this Halloween - for cats!

Proceed with caution.

'Due to human demand, our line of cat costumes keeps expanding,' notes Heather Tobey Anderson, in a PetSmart stores news release. 'Why should dogs have all the fun?' asks Anderson, who is a cat expert.

The number of people dressing up their dogs is on the rise, too.

Seven percent of canine owners say they've purchased a Halloween costume for their pet - nearly twice as many as in 2004.

More than 5 million canines are expected to wear costumes this season, says the 2007-2008 American Pet Products Manufacturers Association's National Pet Owners Survey.

In general, pet style trends tend to follow human style trends, except for when it comes to Halloween costumes.

Popular kids costumes this year include High School Musical, Hannah Montana for girls; and Transformers, Spider-Man and Storm Troopers for boys.

With pets, lobsters are in and hot dogs are out.

Other highlights for dogs include Scarecrows, Strawberries and Pandas. For cats, wigs are the thing. So are cowboy hats, mouse ears and angel wings.

While some pets enjoy dressing up, others may become frightened or stressed.

'If you're going to want to dress your pet, you'll have to start them at an early age,' advises Maria Snider, owner of Barks by the Bay pet boutique in Tampa. 'Your pet is more likely to enjoy it if it's something they're used to doing'.

Be sure your pet is safe and comfortable in its costume.

If your pet seems stressed or humiliated, exchange the costume for a holiday bandana or a collar.

Since most pets don't dress up for Halloween, why don't you give them a treat instead?

Snider recommends giving them organic or all-natural treats. Or you can get them seasonal toys, such as squeaky pumpkins and bats.

It's also important to keep your pet's safety in mind.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, offers this list of common-sense cautions:

• Keep your pet away from candy - that's for the trick-or-treaters. Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, and wrappers can also be harmful if swallowed. If you think your pet may have swallowed something poisonous, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

•Even though popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, they can produce gastrointestinal upset if your pet swallows them. Intestinal blockage is another potential problem if your pet ingests large pieces.

•Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. Your pet could hurt its mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or perhaps get a life-threatening electrical shock.

•Be careful if you use a candle in your Jack-O-Lantern. Pets can easily knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens are especially at risk at getting burned by candle flames.

•Dressing up pets can be stressful for pets. Don't put them in costumes unless you know that they love it.

•If you do dress your pet, be sure that the costume is safe and comfortable. Be sure that your pet can breathe, see and bark.

•All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treating hours. Too many strangers around can stress out pets.

•When opening the door for trick-or-treaters take care to keep your cat or dog from darting out.

•Be sure your cat or dog has its collar and tags. That improves your chances of having your pet returned, if it darts out through an open door.

Write to Kristen Levine at Fetching Communications, P.O. Box 222, Tarpon Springs, FL 34688, e-mail Kristen@fetching communications.com or fax to (727) 934-6451.

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