Pets go missing every day, but the top two pet loss days of the year are July 4th and Halloween. While July 4th has lots of fireworks, Halloween has its own sources of anxiety for pets. It is this anxiety that can cause your pet to bolt out the open door, or even hurt themselves trying to get out of your fenced yard. Keeping your pet safe every day is the main mission of every pet parent, but on Halloween you need to take some extra precautions to ensure your pet is safe! One of the best ways to protect your pet and make sure they come back home is with a cat or dog microchip. A microchip is a permanent form of identification that cannot be tampered with or removed.
What is a Microchip
A microchip is a tiny device, no bigger than a grain of rice that emits a unique ID number when a microchip scanner is held over it. This number corresponds to your contact information in the microchip company’s online database. It is important that you remember to keep the information up to date regarding your phone number, address, as well as any change of ownership.
How Does It Work
When your pet bolts out the door on Halloween night and goes missing, they’ll likely be brought into a shelter, animal control office, or veterinarian. The staff will search for a microchip with their scanner. When they find the microchip and read the ID number, they’ll be able to contact the microchip company, get your contact information, and give you a call so you can come pick up your pet!
Cats and dogs are significantly more likely to make it back home with a microchip than they are with just a collar and ID tags. A collar can be damaged, fall off, or even be removed. A microchip is permanent, and it cannot be tampered with, so your pet always has a link back home.
Other Halloween Pet Safety Tips
Pets going missing is just one part of the dangers they face during Halloween. In addition, there’s the candy, costumes, decorations, and more that can cause potentially dangerous situations.
To keep your pet safe, follow these Halloween safety tips:
- Keep the candy out of paw’s reach. Chocolate is a well-known toxin to our cats and dogs, but did you know that xylitol, a sugar substitute, some nuts, and raisins are all dangerous as well? It’s best to keep all candy out of your pet’s reach and instead have pet-friendly treats available so they can take part in the fun!
- Make sure the costume fits. If putting your pet in a costume, make sure it fits them appropriately. It shouldn’t choke them, inhibit their movement, or block their vision. Also, be wary of any dangling pieces of the costume that could be chomped on and swallowed.
- Always supervise pets around decorations. Whether fake spiderwebs, jack-o’-lanterns, candles, or straw, it’s important to keep an eye on your pet around decorations. They could swallow something, knock over a candle or get tangled in the web!
- Make sure shy pets have a quiet place to rest. All the noises of Halloween, including the doorbell, squeals of children, and howling winds on a Halloween track can all be anxiety- inducing for shy pets. Give them a quiet room in the back to rest in so they don’t get overly anxious!
Interested in more Halloween tips, or want to make an appointment for your cat’s or dog’s microchip? Contact us today, and we’ll be happy to help!