To learn more about dressing up pets for Halloween, we reached out to Susie Inverso, Pet Photographer at Crimson Cat Studios in Colorado. Susie was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda about putting pets in fabulous outfits for the holiday.

“We have a lion mane costume for our orange cat, and he hates it, so we get to see him dressed up for about 10 seconds every year,” she shared. “I think some pets like being dressed up! Some like the extra attention, some might not even notice or care that they have a costume on.”

But not everyone is a fan of getting into costume. “Others don't like it at all! I've seen many pets try to scratch their costumes off, tolerating it only for the length of time it takes to snap a photo,” Susie added. 

We also asked Susie what she believes are the most important factors for pet owners to consider when dressing up their furry friends. First and foremost, she noted that the top priority should be the animal's comfort and safety.

“Could they get stuck in it and panic? Can they breathe and see? I would recommend training the animal to get used to the costume,” the photographer shared. 

“For a couple weeks up until the event, put the costume on, reward with a treat, and immediately take it off. As you progress, keep the costume on for longer periods of time while rewarding,” she continued. 

Susie noted that, eventually, although this is not guaranteed, the pet should see the costume as a good time! “The easiest costume I would recommend would be something the animal doesn't actually have to wear (you can get creative with a wagon or decorating their leash!), or something that doesn't involve their head and face,” she told Bored Panda.

Finally, we wanted to know if there were any other ways that we could celebrate Halloween with our pets, even if they’re not interested in dressing up. “Dogs love to be with their humans, whether cuddling up on the couch for a scary movie or enjoying the autumn leaves during a walk,” Susie says. “There are a lot of creative ways to enjoy Halloween with your pets!”

According to a 2022 survey from PetSmart, more than three quarters of pet parents planned to dress up their fur babies for Halloween that year. And 25% of pet owners even said that they would take their little ones along with them trick or treating. So what are these pets dressing up as? Well, the National Retail Federation reports that the most popular costumes for pets are pumpkins, hot dogs, bats, ghosts, bumblebees, cats, spiders, witches, lions and devils or demons. 

But if you want to dress up your dog or cat, you don’t need to follow the trends! There are plenty of creative costumes that you can come up with. And if you’re looking for inspiration, CNN published a list recently of all of the best Halloween costumes for dogs. Some of the top options are Winnie-the-Pooh, a monarch butterfly, a shooting star, a formal tuxedo, sushi, Sherlock Holmes, a R.O.U.S. from Princess Bride and Willie Nelson.

And if you need advice on how to dress up your pets without worrying about their health and safety, the American Kennel Club has got you covered. First, they recommend avoiding any costumes with toxic components. Glitter is adorable, and dye can make a costume much prettier. But if there’s any chance your pet will eat it, that’s a risk you don’t want to take. Choking hazards are another factor pet owners need to consider. Avoid costumes with small parts that could easily be swallowed. 

Just like with costumes for humans, comfort should be a major consideration. Your pet may not be able to verbalize when they’re uncomfortable, but you can tell based on their body language. Do a trial run with the costume before the big day, and if they clearly hate it, just snap a picture and spare them the stress of ever having to wear it again. You know your pet better than anyone, so if having a hat or a sweater on all night will freak them out, it’s definitely not worth it. 

We hope you’re getting a kick out of all of these adorable pics, pandas! Keep upvoting all of your favorites, and let us know in the comments below if you plan to dress up your own furry friend in a costume this year. Then, if you’d like to check out even more precious animals who went all out for Halloween, we recommend reading this Bored Panda piece next!