Tips to Get Your Pets into Those Costumes

Dogs wearing clothes has become almost mainstream these days. But did you know there are Halloween pet costumes available for other types of pets as well? Cat and ferret costumes are definitely gaining popularity. The biggest problem I see with trying to make any other pet than a dog wear an outfit is convincing them to keep it on for more than a second  without trying to scratch your eyes out. The following tips should make things a little easier on both you and your beloved pet.

Let your pet become familiar with what you want it to wear long before trying to actually make it put on the costume. The easiest way to do this is to leave it on the floor under supervision, of course. Your pet will get curious and investigate.

Whenever you get a calm reaction, praise your pet for the good behavior. Use words, treats or favorite toys, whichever works best. Once your furry family member likes being around the costume, you can start putting it on.

Some Halloween pet costumes consist of more than one piece. If the costume you bought has a hat or bow tie for instance, you can start by letting your pet get used to wearing just that one piece. Once again, if you get a calm reaction, praise.

As soon as the complete outfit is on, do something fun with your pet to distract it. If your dog loves to go for a walk, take them for a stroll around the block.  If your cat has a favorite toy or game, play with it. The ultimate praise for your ferret may be to take him to a room he is never or is rarely allowed in. The key here is distraction so your pet doesn’t try to weasel out of the costume and rip it to shreds.

If at any time you see your pet getting frustrated or agitated with the Halloween costume, calm it down. Once calm, you can take off the outfit. You don’t want to take it off while she’s acting out because then you’ll be rewarding her unwanted behavior.

Slowly but surely you’ll be able to make your pet wear the whole outfit without freaking out or them destroying it.  Depending on your pet’s character, you might have to take things slow or you may be able to put the entire costume on in less than 5 minutes. You know your pet best, so make sure he or she is comfortable during the entire process.