Purr-fect Halloween: Americans to spend $700M on pet costumes

WASHINGTON (TND) — Dressing up for Halloween is an annual tradition – but some people also don their pets in costumes.

Americans are expected to spend $700 million on Halloween costumes for their pets in 2022, according to Camp Bow Wow, a company that provides doggy daycare, boarding and more.

Lauren Cardinale, of Rhode Island, said she always has fun choosing the purr-fect outfit for her beloved cat, Gianni, who is a Maine coon.

People love his costumes and look forward to seeing them each year," Cardinale told The National Desk. "He loves dressing up and doesn't mind it at all as long as treats are involved."

This year, he will be dressing up as a historical figure – Julius Caesar.

In the past, he's been the pope, a king, a mobster, as well as a unicorn.

His friends, Brady and Chloe, two dachshunds, also love to dress up each October. They are New England sports fans and tend to wear Boston Red Sox jerseys or referee uniforms.

Cardinale said she usually orders Gianni's costumes online, often on Amazon. A few of her favorite companies include Legendog, California Costume Collections, Midlee Designsand Coppthinktu.

BARK, the creator of BarkBox, also offers a variety of costumes for four-legged friends.

This year, some of their costumes include the following:

Disney Villains

Even the best dogs have a bad side," according to Bark. "The Disney Villain collection features two wearable options Malificent and Jafar that come with a head piece and a cape. This collection is exclusively available at PetSmart and comes in sizes small, medium and large."

Franzia

The viral boxed wine costume for adults, now comes in a dog version for your party animal. The BarkBoxed wine costume is available in sizes small, medium and large on barkshop.com for $20."

Blue’s Clues

Dress your dog as Blue with a soft fleece lined sweatshirt in her signature color, with a stretchy head band with ears. This wearable option is currently free for new BarkBox or Super Chewer subscribers or will be an add to box option for existing subscribers. Available in sizes small, medium and large."

To ensure pets are safe during Halloween activities, Camp Bow Wow's animal health and behavior expert Erin Askeland, shared a few tips.

Askeland said while pets might look cute in certain costumes, they "won’t necessarily keep him out of harm’s way." She said costumes should never constrict the animal's movement, hearing, or sight or impede their ability to breathe, bark or meow.

Avoid small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that animals could choke on," she said. "It is helpful to try on costumes before Halloween, and if your pet seems distressed or shows abnormal behavior, don’t force them to wear it.""

Askeland also said it's best not to take pets trick-or-treating.

It’s possible that your dog could get spooked by a ghost or goblin and even the friendliest dog could bite someone to protect itself or you from what it perceives as a threat," she said. "Instead, keep your pet in a safe, secluded space so they cannot escape when the door opens to trick-or-treaters."

Plus, she said not to feed pets candy, especially chocolate, as well as said to keep an eye out for what she described as potentially dangerous decorations.

While these are relatively nontoxic, they can cause stomach upset in pets who nibble on them," she said.