The first time I realized how much joy people take in dressing up their pets was one morning years ago when I’d popped out of my apartment in Brooklyn for a pre-work bodega coffee, dressed like a slob in a puffer jacket because I was only walking one block.
Then I nearly tripped over a schnauzer wearing four brown leather boots, a blue-and-green flannel shirt, and a heathered gray hoodie. The damn dog was dressed more nicely than I was. Now it’s the one time of the year when you practically have to dress up your little friend.
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From horror movie classics to pop culture paeans to the flavor of the moment, we’ve rounded up the coolest, scariest, funniest, and all-around best pet Halloween costumes for cats and dogs.
If you’ve already decked yourself out in a choice from our guide to the best Halloween costumes for adult humans, make sure to grab a costume for your favorite freeloading dependents. No, not your kids. Your pets, silly. The four-legged ones.
quick look at the best pet halloween costumes
- Go Pats? – Dunkin’ Costume
- More legs, more better – Spider Pup Costume
- Just like Michael Keaton – Beetlejuice Pet Costume
- Your mane man (or girl) – King of the Jungle Costume
- Package delivery – Mail Carrier
- Ride ’em, cowboy – Cowboy Horsey
- Mere child’s play – Chucky
- One hot-lookin’ dog – Hot Dog
- Space bear – Ewok
- A real Dudley Do-Right – Canadian Mountie
- Haunting your dreams – Freddy Krueger
Best PEt Halloween Costumes: how we evaluated
Eye-catchability was high on our list. Anyone can dress their wiener dog as a ghost. But you want your little starlet to the center of attention, right? So uniqueness, whether by way of being scary or hilarious, rated highly for us.
We also liked to see customers say that the costumes fit their pups or cats well. It’s no fun if it wearing it makes your beloved miserable. And last, we looked at quality. Costumes don’t have to last a long time, but they shouldn’t be something your pet shreds before the night is up.
go pats? – dunkin’ costume
Dunkin' Pet Costume (opens in a new window)
We were sure this was a Tourist From Boston costume, but then we noticed the intricately positioned branding. Sure enough, it’s an officially licensed collaboration between Spirit Halloween and Dunkin’, the contemporary moniker of what we all still call Dunkin’ Donuts.
One thing to note is that the box isn’t actually a box. As a customer reviewer says, “The box isn’t 3D as it appears in photos, just a flat, silver Dunkin’ Box stuck up against their chest.” Bummer. But you could try getting a real one from a Dunkin’ and zip-tying it to the hands.
Sizing appears well from small to large breeds. Customers say “I got a L/XL for my 55 pound dog and it fit perfectly!” to “I would recommend this costume in a small for any dog under 8 pounds.” Fluffier breeds could be a problem, though. One husky owner said the shirt didn’t fit well over all the fluff.
more legs, more better – spider pup costume
Spider Pup Costume (opens in a new window)
This Spider costume is actually kind of low-key hilarious, if only because of the genuinely icked-out reactions you’re likely to get from other partygoers. After all, how often does a Halloween costume—for human or animal—actually scare somebody?
Reviewers say it fit their dogs perfectly, although the sizing chart was off for a few folks. Breeds so vary in proportion and head shape quite a bit. Although it’s called a Spider Pup costume, photos show that it fits cats in smaller sizes, too.
One reviewer wrote “We really like this costume. The headpiece fits perfectly and the orange feathers add detail.” Another pointed out that it was “fun to watch her (dog) run in circles chewing (the) legs.” There’s a similar costume on Amazon, too.
just like michael keaton – beetlejuice pet costume
Beetlejuice Pet Costume (opens in a new window)
Nothing says pop culture zeitgeist right now like Beetlejuice, ever since the movie came out last month. With your little energetic friend running around the party with the unstoppable energy of a nuclear-powered Zamboni, he’ll be the spitting image of Michael Keaton himself.
There aren’t many reviews yet, but one customers states that it was “easy to put on, sizing was accurate,” and another writes “THE CUTEST THING EVER! I’ll need to pin it in a few places since my poodle is narrow chested, but all in all this is a great fit and a cute costume.”
Bonus points if you dress yourself up in a Beetlejuice or Lydia costume and party alongside your little buddy in this. If you’d prefer to shop on Amazon, there’s a similar costume available.
your mane man (or girl) – king of the jungle costume
King of the Jungle (opens in a new window)
Shrugging your shoulders at the elaborate costumes on this list because your pet barely lets you put a harness on them, much less an entire get-up? This is an easy one. It only consists of a lion’s mane that goes around the head.
It makes more sense for dogs and cats that already have the matching fur color. The shaggy mane and ears stay largely out of the way of the wearer’s face, too, so it may be better for, ahem, pickier pets. There’s a slightly different lion’s mane for cats and small dogs on Amazon, too.
package delivery – mail carrier
Mail Carrier (opens in a new window)
Watching old television reruns where they lambast the postal worker as the butt of all gags, I always think the jokes haven’t aged well. At least the USPS actually tries to deliver my packages, rather than marking them “attempted delivery” without even stopping the truck.
“It is well made, with attention to (dog) detail,” says one customer. The box is an actual, three-dimensional box attached to the costume’s little arms. There is a UPS delivery worker version, too, if you have a thing for the big, brown truck.
ride ’em, cowboy – cowboy horsey
Forgetting dressing up your little friend as the cowboy or cowgirl. Let them be the horse instead. The execution is all in the face of the little cowboy doll that rides on your pet’s back. He’s clearly having a hard time of it.
Keep the sizing in mind. One customer writes, “Runs really small. Definitely order a size or two up.” Maybe even more if you have a very fluffy dog, such as a husky. It may look like perilous, but customers report that it stays put.
“It stayed on great, and when he walked the cowboy looked like he was really riding! So stinking cute!!!” says another reviewer.
mere child’s play – chucky
Nothing say you love your little smootchkins like dressing them up like a notorious doll possessed by the soul of a serial killer. Dope, right? Child’s Play is one of those movies that’s transcended generations. Everyone will get the reference.
There are a lot of Chucky pet costumes out there. We like this one because there’s something creepy and slightly humorous about the fake knife in the raised hand. You’ve often wondered if your dog resented you controlling meal times, so them wielding a knife isn’t too far-fetched, is it?
One hot-lookin’ dog – hot dog
Hot Dog Pet Costume (opens in a new window)
If they didn’t want us to put them in buns, then they shouldn’t be walking around looking like giant hot dogs already. This is one costume you won’t have to squeeze them into as they squirm and make life difficult for you. Just slip it over them and fasten around the chest and stomach.
And like any good hot dog, it comes with a squirt of yellow mustard and nothing else. Although it could use some sauerkraut on there, honestly. Amazon has a similar costume for sale, too.
space bear – ewok
Ewok Pet Costume (opens in a new window)
Now here’s a throwback. Bet you thought we’d wedge a Baby Yoda in here for our Star Wars pick, didn’t you? We like the Ewok costume better. The original imperial-soldier-bashing badasses of Return of the Jedi, Ewoks more of less saved everyone’s asses in the end.
They also happen to be cute as hell, even with spears in their hands. Not everybody will know what they are, but the Star Wars faithful will get it, and you’ll share a knowing look and then get to arguing about whether Han shot first.
A real dudley do-right – canadian mountie
Canadian Mountie Pet Costume (opens in a new window)
This works especially well if you have an overly serious-looking dog. Just throw that hat and red jacket on watch the rest of the dogs fall in line before the mighty authority of Canada’s mounted police.
The little hat alone is worth the price of admission. Admit it. You’re thinking about reusing that hat again and again for walks and trips to the park well after Halloween, aren’t you? Well, if not, you should be. Because it’s awesome.
haunting your dreams – freddy krueger
They already scratch the shit out of you with their little claws. You may as well dress them up as the villain from Nightmare on Elm Street, who uses the metal claws worn over his hands to rake his victims in their sleep. Kind of like how your cat operates.
There are over 800 customer reviews that have rated this costume at overall 4.6 stars, so it’s a proven winner. “The shirt is a nice quality and well made. It has velcro on the front,” writes one reviewer, although they state the hat is merely OK.
But it’s a damn good-looking hat. Just treat it gently and you may be able to reuse it after Halloween as a jaunty thing for evening walks.