By Karin Krisher

Not every pet owner likes to dress up his or her pet for Halloween’s many festivities. But some do—and for you (and us), the thousands of costume choices we have can be daunting. We’ve compiled a list of our absolute favorite Halloween costumes for pets (or overarching costume concepts), and how to create them with little time or money. Ready, set, trick or treat!

We think it’s hilariously appropriate to dress animals up as other animals. Costumes that achieve this task are always among our favorites. A great example is the classic lion dog. Simply make a collar full of fake, tuft like fur to act as the mane, and consider brown felt strips or other fur for attachment around the pup’s ankles.

Another great animal-to-animal costume conversion is the dog-to-dragon option. A green puppy sweater or t-shirt, some green felt, a pair of scissors and a bit of super glue or a sewing machine can go a long way here.

Traditional Halloween Costumes For Pets

Our other favorite Halloween costumes for pets are plays on traditional human concepts. It’s always great to see a cat dressed as a vampire, with a high-collared cape framing its whiskered mug. We also like puppy bride and grooms—these are simple costumes that might require a small purchase—a doggy tuxedo t-shirt, for example, and a white turtleneck and tutu combo.

Speaking of tutus, the ballerina is a perfect costume choice for a dog or a cat. Even a hamster can rock a mini tutu. Grab a couple of feet of tulle and mess around with length to get your perfect, simple dress-up choice.

Finally, we all know our dogs and cats are superheroes. Halloween is our chance to show it—in costume form. Poke your head around sites like Etsy.com for Superman or Spiderman costumes, or create your own play on Cat Woman’s infamous leather bodysuit.

You’ve got an endless list of costume options for your pets this Halloween. From a traditional pumpkin to a not-so-traditional zebra-striped Greyhound, the choices are limitless. If I were dressing my dog up for Halloween, though, there would be only one choice:

Tossing some glasses, a hat and a red and white striped shirt on my pup would allow him to get lost in the crowd—just like his genius inspiration, Waldo.

What has your best pet Halloween costume been to date? What are you planning this year? Share your story in a comment, or a picture on our Facebook page referencing our blog—and you could win a Halloween trick or treat from Pet Naturals: A bag of Calming Chews! We can’t wait to hear from you!