Whenever Halloween comes around, the shops are always awash with costumes to turn you into a vampire, werewolf or a variety of other things that go bump in the night. However, have you ever considered that your pets may feel a little left out of the freakish fun? We have compiled a selection of some of the best Halloween pet costumes to inspire you or just to give you a bit of a chuckle.

The devil in disguise

Scooby who?

Pumpkin Munchkin

Ferret Bueller’s Day Off

Photo credit: ilovememphis

Pumpkin Puss

Photo credit: plasticrevolver

A dog is for life not just for Halloween

Lily Lizard Savage

The good, the bad and the bunny

“Have I used all 9 lives already?!”

Bionic horse….we shall rebuild him

Photo credit: badmonkey0001

Caught short at Halloweeeeeeeeeen

“It wasn’t me!”

Photo credit: plasticrevolver

Hairy Potter and the Chamber of Cheapness

WAAAAAASSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUPPPPPP!

Photo credit: gadgetdude

“Use the paws, Luke!”

We also want to hear from you and see what amazing costumes you have created for your pets. Whether you have taken inspiration from the photos above or come up with something entirely original, we want to see them – and we’ll post the best ones up in a future blog.

We have tried to credit photos where we can. However, should you see your photo on here but rather we didn’t use it then that’s not a problem – just contact john@ideas-4-pets.com

There are four main types of vivarium cabinets, each one suitable for animals with alternate habitats.  These four main types are aquariums, insectariums, paludarium, and a terrarium.  Aquariums concern an aquatic place of life, and are mainly used for fish.  Insectariums are as the name suggests, used to keep insects for example tarantulas.  Paludariums simulate a rain forest or a swampy environment, perfect for those used to a hot, wet, and humid environment.  Terrariums simulate a habitat of a desert or savannah, although can also be made into more jungle – like environments, by adding pebbles, leaves and branches.

Ideas-4-Pets offer vivariums in all shapes, sizes, and types, perfect for your pet reptiles.  Also offering a large range of reptile accessories, we can help you to provide a perfect home for your exotic animals.  We have many varieties of Java reptile branches – providing a more natural and aesthetically pleasing habitat for your pet. With vivarium heater mats also available, you can be sure that we can fully fulfil your vivarium needs.

One way to repay them for all their efforts it to ensure they are looking their best by investing in dog grooming tables.

Such products come in a range of sizes, styles and prices but they all have one thing in common: they help your pet to remain on top form.

By using dog grooming tables, you can make your pooch the envy of your friends and keep him or her happy too.

Such pets love being pampered and by brushing them and treating them regularly in this way, you can help remove excess fur and dirt.

This means they will feel more relaxed and can get on with the business of being a dog.

Grooming is a crucial part of dog care and, depending on the breed, age and health of the animal in question, it may be a daily activity.

While some breeds require less attention of this kind, others need it in order to remain in good shape.

By investing in a dog grooming table, you may help ensure your pet is at a decreased risk of health issues such as skin complaints.

In addition, you can improve the general cleanliness of your furry companion and can monitor it for cuts, swellings, lameness and changes in temperament.

It may also help you form a closer bond with your pet.

Of course, there are many other products you can buy to improve the life of your animal, including dog runs and beds.

On a basic level, a parrot will only ever be happy if it’s nutrition requirement is met, and therefore ensuring the parrot cage is well stocked with high quality feed is a simple step to keeping your parrot healthy and happy.

Parrots are very playful animals, and therefore whilst your parrot cage should be equipped with plenty of stimuli, e.g. mirrors and toys, it is also absolutely crucial to your birds emotional wellbeing that you engage in play with your parrot as much as possible; by play, this could mean simply just talking and interacting with your bird, which they will greatly appreciate.

Parrots are also highly responsive to sunlight and therefore it is essential they are given access to sunlight everyday; therefore you should not keep the parrot cage covered for any prolonged period of time.

If your parrot does suddenly exhibit a negative change in their personality then it might be a sign of some underlying health problem such as lice and therefore to ensure a happy parrot you need to ensure they are able to groom effectively, by incorporating a birdbath into the parrot cage.

We’re not just talking about not getting new toys or a having to eat a cheaper brand of food – we’re talking about neglect and abandonment.

Pets punished by the crunch

In 2008 the RSPCA alone handled 11,586 dumped animals in the UK, up 57% on the previous year, and that figure represents illegally dumped animals – not those voluntarily placed for re-homing.

The number of calls from members of the public wanting to give up animals is also up 52%. Tim Wass, chief officer of the RSPCA inspectorate, said the cause was “everything to do with the economics about owning a pet”, from paying for food to veterinary bills.

It’s not just cats and dogs either – horses, farm animals and exotic pets have all been affected. Citing examples such as a badly neglected dog dumped in a bin liner, a sick pony wandering alone in a park and a litter of puppies found dead in a shoebox, Tim Wass said the charity is struggling to cope with abandoned pets and the recession.

Financial difficulty is a stress on us all, so we at ideas-4-pets urge any pet owner to seek advice from the RSPCA or any animal organisation if they are struggling with their commitments.  Your pets deserve love and care in return for their trust and affection – help one another beat the crunch.

Rabbits will live happily in outdoor rabbit hutches or indoor rabbit cages provided that you choose the right size for your rabbit and also allow him plenty of exercise around the house or in an exercise run. Rabbit owners must cater for all their rabbit’s physical and behavioural needs in order for him to remain happy and healthy.

When choosing a rabbit hutch for your pet, purchase the largest hutch you can afford and remember that the hutch should have a separate living area and sleeping area and make sure you allow your rabbit enough space to stand up on his hind legs as rabbits like to stretch up and check that their environment is safe.  Your rabbit would be most uncomfortable if he was hunched over all day or had his ears folded against the roof of his hutch.

The minimum recommended size for a rabbit hutch is 3 to 4 times the length of your rabbit so that he can take 3 or 4 hops.  Also, a relaxed rabbit will naturally lie fully stretched out so he needs the room to do this comfortably .  He also needs enough width to turn around easily in the hutch and enough height for him to sit on his hind legs comfortably. In addition, a large safe area or a rabbit run is required for his daily exercise.

It is essential that your rabbit has the room to stretch in all directions because a hutch that is too small can affect your rabbit’s health by causing spine problems, muscle wastage and obesity.

ideas-4-pets have recently introduced the Bunny Shack which, if you have the space in your garden and want your pet rabbit to have the best, is great because it offers a good sized raised sleeping area and lots of space for him to hop around in safety. 

Although we are sure that the Policeman involved did not cause their deaths deliberately and was probably distraught at what had happened, there can be no excuse for leaving a dog in a car in this hot weather.

Did you know that a pet left in a car in hot weather can succumb to heatstroke and suffocate within minutes. Even on a warm day, the inside of a parked car can get very hot, and when the temperature outside reaches 25 degrees celsius, the temperature inside a car that’s parked in the shade can exceed 33 degrees.  If the car is parked in direct sunlight, it can reach a scorching 71 degrees !!

Even when the temperature outside is 16 – 20 degrees celsius, the inside of some cars can reach the danger zone on bright, sunny days. A lot of experts recommend that you should not to leave pets or children in parked cars even for short periods of time if the temperature 16 degrees celsius or higher.

Parking your car in the shade or winding the windows down can’t guarantee protection either as temperatures can still climb into the danger zone causing your dog great distress and don’t forget that if the car window is wound down a lot,  your pet could jump out and escape. 

Animals don’t sweat in the same way that humans do.  Dogs keep themselves cool by panting and by sweating through their paws. If the air they are breathing is hot, then they will collapse, suffer brain damage and possibly die of heatstroke.  Just 15 minutes can be enough for an animal’s body temperature to rise from a normal body temperature to deadly levels that will damage his nervous and cardiovascular systems, often leaving the animal comatose, dehydrated and at risk of permanent impairment or death.

Most of us love our dogs dearly and would not want any harm to come to them, so please be careful and give your dog the care he so deserves.

The lessons to be learned here are:

1. Leave your dog at home on warm days.  He’ll be happier keeping cool in the house than overheating in the footwell of the car.

2. If you really have to take him somewhere, then take plenty of fresh, cool drinking water and a bowl with you.

3. If your dog starts to show any signs of heat exhaustion whilst he is in the garden like restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, glazed eyes, lethargy, rapid pulse, dizziness or lack of co-ordination, then take him immediately into the shade, an air conditioned or a cool area of the house. To lower his body temperature gradually,  give him some cool water to drink, place a cold towel or ice pack on his head, neck and chest, and/or immerse him in cool (not cold) water if you can and telephone your vet.

4.  If you see a pet that has been left in a car on a hot day then take immediate action by taking a note of the make of car, model, colour and registration number and then telephone the police to report it.

Our pets rely solely on us for their care and protection and we owe it to them to keep them safe in the hot weather.

Dog kennels give your dog a place to call their own, like a room in your home is yours. So too does your dog need his or her own personal space. Dogs will seek out this personal space even if there aren’t dog kennels available.

They might try to crawl in under your bed, behind the sofa, in the laundry basket, irrespective of whether the clothes are clean or already dirty or in closets. The bottom line is that dogs need a safe place of their own to chill out, regardless of how some people view kennels.

Training aid

Using dog kennels to train dogs works similarly to the way dog cages do. You can use dog kennels to train your dog for various different reasons. You could use kennels to help you housetrain, correct bad habits or even help them overcome behaviour such as nervousness and separation anxiety.

When you train your dog using a kennel, it is important not to use the kennel as a punishment. Your dog should never associate dog kennels with punishment. You should also never leave your dog alone in a kennel for more than four hours maximum, at a time. Dogs tend to get very agitated and anxious if left in dog kennels for too long and it can undo any good work you have been doing with training your dog.