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Halloween costumes are a highlight of the spookiest month of the year, and the cutest versions come in pet form. This year is no different; pet sitter service Rover surveyed 1000 pet parents in September 2025 to find out which costumes you can expect to see on our four-legged friends.
- What Pets Will Be Wearing This Halloween
- The Top Trending Costume Categories for Cats
- The Top Trending Costume Categories for Dogs
- Enter the Rover Costume Contest
What Pets Will Be Wearing This Halloween
The respondents’ top choices for dog and cat costumes are pretty diverse. Traditional Halloween getups, such as witches, spiders, and ghosts, are the favorites for both felines (with 44 percent of cat parents planning costumes in this category) and canines (30 percent). Food-related costumes (think a dachshund in a hot dog bun) are also quite popular for both groups—16 percent for dogs and 14 percent for cats.
Sports-themed costumes, such as those of basketball players and cheerleaders, were another common choice for dogs. Sixteen percent of owners planning to dress their dogs in these outfits. Meanwhile, six percent of people want to dress their cats up as other animals, such as a lion or a bat.
The Top Trending Costume Categories for Cats
- Halloween classics
- Food-themed
- Other animals
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The Top Trending Costume Categories for Dogs
- Halloween classics
- Food-themed
- Sports-themed
Enter the Rover Costume Contest
Rover also has a costume contest in store for those who want to go all out for Halloween. A panel of pet experts will choose winners in these three categories: Best in Boo, Monstrously Scary, and Most Fur-ocious. Each winner will receive a $100 Rover credit for dog walking or pet sitting as well as a gift box. Their pet will also be featured on Rover’s Instagram account.
To enter the contest, all you have to do is:
- Post a photo of your pet in costume to your Instagram feed
- Tag @roverdotcom
- Include #RoverCostumeContest in the caption
You’ll have until October 20, 2025, to sign up. Winners will be announced the next day.
If you’re planning to dress up your pet, ensure that the costume is safe and comfortable. The Animal Humane Society advises against costumes with small pieces that can be swallowed. It’s also best to let your pet sniff the costume before having them wear it to help them acclimate. You can also offer treats while your pet wears the costume and play with them so they can build positive associations with it. If the animal shows no sign of getting used to the outfit, though, don’t force them to wear it.