10 Ways to Celebrate Halloween With Your Pet

It's officially Spooky Season which means it's time to bring out all of our favorite Halloween decorations, costumes and candy for a month filled with a ton of fun. While we do have to keep a few safety measures in mind, Halloween can be a very fun holiday for you and your pet! In this post we'll be sharing 10 ways you can celebrate Halloween with your pet, with a few helpful tips along the way!

1. Wear Matching Costumes​

You know we had to start with a fan favorite, right? Probably one of the most fun Halloween activities to do with your pet is to wear matching costumes! There are tons of matching dog and owner Halloween costumes or cat and owner Halloween costumes out there that are bound to make a statement at your next Halloween paw-ty!

You can find tons of pet Halloween costumes on Amazon, Chewy, Petco, PetSmart, Target, Walmart and other retailers near you.

Pro Tip: If you're looking for dog costumes for large breeds or dog costumes for extra-large dogs, Petco, PetSmart and Target have great selections of dog costumes in bigger sizes (as well as small!).

2. Have a Movie Marathon​

If your dog or cat is your favorite snuggle buddy, then grab a stack of your favorite Halloween movies, some tasty snacks and your furry friend and have a haunted movie marathon!

Need a few movie ideas? Check out some scary and not-so-scary ideas below!

Scary Halloween Movies:

• The Conjuring
• IT
• The Shining
• The Last Voyage of the Demeter
• Halloween (Any or all!)
• Insidious
• The Exorcist
• The Boogeyman

Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies:

• Scooby Doo (For obvious reasons!)
• The School For Good and Evil
• Haunted Mansion
• Hocus Pocus (1&2)
• GooseBumps
• Rocky Horror Picture Show
• The Addams Family
• Harry Potter (Any or all!)

3. Make Halloween Treats​

Even though our dogs and cats can't indulge in all of the Halloween goodness that is candy and chocolate, we can make them tasty Halloween treats!

One ingredient that's in many fall and Halloween dog treat recipes? Pumpkin! Not only is pumpkin a great treat for your dog, it also aids in digestion and can help your dog when they have an upset stomach. Head over to Pinterest or Google to find tons of Halloween dog treat recipes that you can make with your furry friend!

4. Go Trick or Treating​

Want to show off your matching dog and owner costumes (or cat and owner costumes)? Grab your dog's leash and take a stroll around your neighborhood in your festive, spooky outfits!

Before heading out, below are a few important things to know:

• Some pets get scared on Halloween from the costumes. Know your pet, and if you know they'll be nervous during this outing, skip it and play dress up inside instead!
• Ensure your pet's costume has full mobility and visibility. Many costumes do have head attachments that can Velcro/snap on and off. Ensure that your pet can walk freely and that they can fully see before heading out. 

5. Treat Your Pet to Halloween Toys​

Every year tons of pet retailers make fun Halloween themed pet toys for dogs, cats and other furry friends! Get in the spooky spirit by getting them a fun themed toy they'll enjoy!

6. Enter a Pet Costume Contest​

Did you know there are many Halloween events for dogs and cats? Many local retailers host pet costume contests and many towns host Halloween costume parades that your pet can participate in! Check out your local retailer to see what upcoming events they have and visit your local town's website to see which event you and your pet can sign up for!

7. Visit a Pumpkin Patch​

Did you know there are many pumpkin patches that you can take your dog to? In the fall, many farms have dog-friendly pumpkin patches where you can bring your furry friend to enjoy in all the picking festivities. While you're there, you can get in a few adorable photos of your pup too!

Before heading out, ensure that the pumpkin patch you are visiting is dog-friendly and if there are certain times when pets are allowed.

8. Have a Photoshoot​

Speaking of photos, this brings us to idea number eight, have a photoshoot! In addition to taking adorable photos at your local dog-friendly pumpkin patch, you can also create your own haunted backdrop and have a fun Halloween photoshoot with your pet!

Do you decorate the inside and/or outside of your house every year? There's your backdrop! Grab your costumes, a tripod (if you want to join in the fun too), and some treats and have yourself some spooky fun!

9. Make a Haunted House for Your Cat​

Have some cardboard boxes lying around, or perhaps our awesome Cat Camper? Add some festive cat toys or some spooky colors to make your very own Haunted House for your cat!

10. Adopt a Black Cat​

Did you know that the number one color of cat that is least adopted is black? If you've been wanting to add a furry feline to your family, check out your local shelters and meet the many great black cats available for adoption!

Which one of these 10 ideas are you going to try first? Matching Halloween costumes? Perhaps a movie marathon? Or you can do it all! We hope you have the most fun (and safe) Halloween with your pet, and if you liked this article, make sure to share with your friends so that they can have the best Halloween with their pet too!