We are a nation of animal lovers. We like nothing better than taking our pets for walks, playing with them, feeding them when they are hungry, brushing them on demand, and being entertained by their antics. However, a small number of animal lovers think dressing up their pet in costumes for festive holidays such as Christmas or Halloween is a good idea.
We film them in cute costumes and broadcast the footage on social media so global audiences can share our joy at how cute our animal companions are. However, a veterinarian from the PDSA, as well as representatives from other animal organisations, have advised animal lovers not to dress their pets in festive costumes because doing so may seriously affect both your animal and your children’s health. The PDSA vet also advised pet owners to think of a more animal-friendly way for pets to join the festivities.
Stop in the name of dogs
Animal enthusiasts should stop and pay attention to the question-and-answer session recently put on by a vet from the PDSA on 24 October 2024. The vet gave up some of her valuable time to take questions from the public on various topics affecting animals.
In the question-and-answer session, a pet owner named Michaela shared with the audience how much she loves dressing up in costumes for Halloween. However, she was curious from a vet’s perspective whether it was safe to continue putting her animal companions in fancy dress for Halloween. Michaela asked the vet for her advice on her conundrum and asked the question: “with dressing up arguably being the best part of Halloween, I was wondering if it’s ok to dress my pets up as well?”
Answering the question, the vet appeared to sympathise with the pet owner’s situation. She advised that as Halloween and Christmas approach people may be tempted to put their animal companions in festive costumes. However, the vet advised Michaela and others thinking of dressing their furry friend up in festive attire to think again.
The vet asked Michaela to look at the situation from the pet’s point of view, asking: “Would they [the pet], given the choice, dress themselves up?” The vet believed the pet would decline the offer as they are animals and wearing festive outfits interferes with their instincts. The vet observed that animals in this situation often “become overheated”, and can not communicate how they are feeling through body language.
Whilst this sounds like a minor complaint, the vet emphasised how important it was for pet owners to avoid putting their animals in costumes because she said it can lead to the animal being “misunderstood”. After all, it can prevent them from communicating with humans and other animals. She further commented that a lack of feeling understood could cause “conflict” because the animal and others are put at risk of “fear or injury”. The message the vet representing the PDSA wanted to hammer home was the veterinary profession’s opposition to putting our furry friends in festive costumes for Christmas and Halloween.
Wearing such costumes, which are often made of thick fabric, can hurt the animal’s ability to:
- groom themselves
- empty bladder or bowels
- walk or get around
- regulate their temperature
If the pet owner does not properly supervise their furry friend whilst wearing a festive outfit, there is also a likelihood that they can choke on small parts of the costume or swallow parts and get a bowel obstruction.
The vet asked pet owners to avoid putting pets in costumes regardless of the time of year. The vet was not providing this advice to pet owners to spoil everyone’s fun, act as a killjoy, or be accused of being a Scrooge-like figure. On the contrary, the vet advised pet owners to get into the festive spirit by getting their furry friends involved by purchasing items which are safe for them to use such as a themed collar, bed, or toy.
Breaking news?
This development should not come as a surprise to anyone who has experience of owning pets. Back in 2022 the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warned pet owners to refrain from putting their animals in festive costumes due to the risk of them becoming stressed, overheating, experiencing breathing difficulties, and even becoming aggressive.
Dogs have been observed exhibiting signs of stress such as:
- panting,
- yawning,
- licking their lips,
- positioning their tails between their legs,
- avoiding looking at people or
- getting out of the way of perceived danger.
Our feline friends have also been seen showing how uncomfortable they are with being dressed up in festive outfits by acting aggressively, “moving close to the ground, making vocalisations”, and hiding.
The PDSA warn animal owners if these tell-tale signs of stress are not taken seriously, their pets may become aggressive. The RSPCA’s warning seems to have followed many images of animals posing as an array of Halloween things such as “ghosts”, “pumpkins”, and “spiders” as the owners wanted their furry friends to join the festivities. The RSPCA also commented to the BBC that some animals do not enjoy the experience of dressing up for Halloween and observed that others found it to be “worrying and even scary”.
The RSPCA were not the only organisation to make their feelings known about the issue of pet owners dressing up their furry friends for festive occasions such as Halloween or Christmas. Justine Shotton from the British Vet Association joined the chorus of opposing voices to the practice of dressing up animals in this way for festive celebrations, and in her interview on Sky News observed that despite being made to feel part of a loving family it is important to remember that they are animals and “are not fashion accessories.”
And for children?
Whilst celebrating Halloween and Christmas with the children should be fun, on 22 October 2024 the UK Government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards released the results of its tests on 128 outfits aimed at children under the age of seven. The authorities found that over three-quarters of the costumes were substandard. Astonishingly, many of these costumes posed a risk of choking and fire. Thankfully, the outfits which fell below the required standards have been “removed from sale” by some platforms. However, the UK Government has strongly advised “the public to always buy costumes from trusted sources and take care when near fire, particularly open flames.”
Ban festivities?
The PDSA and other organisations are not advocating a ban on celebrating Christmas or Halloween. However, they advise people to act cautiously by not dressing their pets or children in costumes which risk their health.
