Halloween? A little hair of the dog
Knight Ridder News Service
Pet costume parties, parades and trick-or-treating with pets are increasingly popular with animal owners. And when it comes to costumes for your pets, there's an outfit for any occasion.
Witch and devil costumes share the spotlight as the favorite traditional Halloween costumes for dogs and cats, said Arthur Savarese of Rubie's Costume Co., the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of Halloween products. SuperDog and BatDog top the list of their hottest untraditional costumes for pets.
Rubie's has a "feeling groovy" costume that matches one for kids, with an Afro wig and tie-died duds. Other family-pet combinations include rock star and sheriff costumes.
For cats, kerchiefs, bow ties and charms are popular Halloween items. Some of their ghost costumes and other products come with glow-in-the-dark features, for added safety.
If the pet isn't thrilled about the costume for the big night, animal behaviorist Suzanne Hetts of www.animalbehaviorassociates.com suggests it's probably a good idea to let pets come as they are.
To prevent a family pet from "freaking out," Hetts recommends having children try their costumes on a few days early, then sit quietly and allow the pet to observe them.
