Halloween may look a little different this year due to the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean that pet parents and their furry friends will skip out on the spooky celebrations.
Nearly 1 in 5, or 18%, of Americans are planning to dress up their pet this Halloween, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation. The 18% figure is an increase from last year’s 17%, suggesting that dressing up pets is on the rise.
The study showed that 148 million US adults plan to participate in Halloween-related activities this year. Among those who plan to participate in Halloween activities, most will partake in at-home activities with 53% planning to decorate their homes, while 46% plan to carve a pumpkin and 18% will dress up their pet.
The most popular costumes
Meanwhile, the study also showed that 10% of pet lovers will dress their animal in a pumpkin costume, while 6% will dress their cat or dog as a hot dog, 5% as a superhero and 3% as a cat.
Other popular costumes include bumblebee, ghost, dog, witch, devil and bat.
Katherine Cullen, the National Retail Federation’s Senior Director of Industry and Consumer Insights told Business Insider that a big part of the reason people are dressing up pets is that many are desperate for something that can cheer them up during the pandemic. Dressing up a pet, like buying Halloween decorations or sending festive greeting cards, provide ways for people to celebrate without large parties, Cullen added.
Halloween starts tomorrow! While it’s supposed to be a fun holiday, it can be a bit scary for your pet, so be sure to check out some tips here on how to keep your pet safe this Halloween.