Helping your pet avoid the 'Halloween Horrors'

Halloween can be a truly terrifying time for both pets and wildlife and Animals In Need (AIN) have offered some tips on how to keep the fear factor to a minimum.

The most important advice is to keep your pet in a secure, safe area.

This may sound obvious, but every Halloween, AIN’s hotline is inundated with calls regarding animals that have been spooked and run away and animals that have been found wandering around lost, which is why keeping pets indoors at this time is crucial.

The witch and ghost hurlers of the only lake in Kilkenny

Fireworks may be illegal but they will inevitably still be going off in most towns, so provide your pet with a safe place where they can hide if they are frightened, keep lights on low and play music or have the TV on in the background to help to mask the noise.

Anton was dumped in a box by the roadside

If your pet is exceptionally frightened by fireworks, there are calming supplements available from your vets, which can help.

It is a scary and dangerous time for wildlife too.

Please always check bonfires for any sheltering animals such as hedgehogs before you light them.

Treats for trick or treaters can also present a hazard for pets, so make sure chocolate and any sweets containing xylitol are kept well out of the reach of inquisitive dogs.

Leftover pumpkins should only be fed to wildlife at high levels, such as on birdfeeders as they are harmful to hedgehogs, giving them diarrhoea.

Sadly, animals can fall victim to pranks or acts of horrific abuse at this time of year, especially black cats, so the smartest thing to do is keep your pet safely in the house until it is all over.