Costume madness

Why dress up pets for Halloween?

On Halloween night, our four-legged friends no longer understand the world.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/pixel-shot.com (Leonid Yastremskiy))

Every October, photos of pets posing in Halloween costumes go around the world. At first glance, the pictures seem cute and funny - but do the animals see it the same way?

A thought experiment: they detest and avoid theme parties that involve a masquerade. The worldwide Halloween hype on October 31st is also something you can't stand. But suddenly, on that day, a few friends stand in front of you and before you know it, a white sheet is draped over you and tied to your body. They then cut a few holes in it so that you can see and breathe, but cannot free yourself from the unwanted "disguise". And everyone laughs, takes photos or films the spooky spectacle.

As a human, you can put an end to such an assault. An animal that is put on display in costume by its owner for Halloween or any other occasion cannot! It is defencelessly at his mercy.

For scary animals
The range of costumes for four-legged friends is immense. From hair bands with Yoda ears to full body costumes as a unicorn, shark, pirate, Batman, Zorro and even disguises as a hot dog or cake - at first glance, these may seem funny. However, they are generally completely unsuitable for animals.

Double punishment: Breed with so-called torture breeding characteristics in a pirate costume.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Firn - stock.adobe.com)

Unnecessary stress for living creatures
Any disguise restricts the animal's freedom of movement, prevents it from communicating body language and restricts its ability to see and hear. In any case, it is perceived as a foreign body. In addition, it can have a frightening effect on other animals.

A dog or cat would not voluntarily wear a costume - so why do we humans do it to them? So that we feel entertained for a brief moment? To generate some attention and clicks on social media? No matter how you look at it, it is incomprehensible what motivates owners to expose their pets to general ridicule.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Dog coats offer protection from the cold and wet
Of course, the situation is completely different with clothing that is intended to protect the dog. For example, short-haired pets without an undercoat need a coat in winter. Protecting a dog from the cold and wet is not comparable to a costume.

In short: Are costumes the worst form of animal cruelty? Probably not. But do they help our animal companions to feel more comfortable? Clearly, no. If you know how to read your pet's body language, you will quickly recognize when it is desperately trying to escape an unpleasant situation.

Responsible owners don't even run the risk of their four-legged friend feeling uncomfortable or even afraid of them. If you like dressing up for Halloween or carnival, it's better to dress up yourself.