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When it comes to Halloween, the pumpkin costume still reigns supreme even among pets: constituting 10% of all pets' Halloween costumes in 2024.
The classic symbol for Halloween, in its costume form, is baggy and round and does not need to be perfectly shaped to be recognizable, making it ideal for all kinds of species. The iconic costume has even been adapted for tortoises and bearded dragons.
In second place, with the most pun potential, is the hot dog costume—another option that allows many pets unrestricted movement. Such reasoning drove Tonya Moore of Gainesville, Virginia, to buy a hot dog costume for her chihuahua mix, Isabella. Thanks to innovations in dog costumes over the years, her other dog, Teddy the bulldog, will be a lion.
"The costumes are getting better thought out, like some of the hoods are really connecting to the body versus when you had to go find ears for something that you had a body for before," Moore told Stacker. "So now they're kind of grouping them all together which makes it a lot easier."
Bat outfits flew in as the third most popular for pets, with ghost getups coming in fourth place. Ranked fifth overall is the bumblebee costume, and just below it is a cat costume, though there is no word on which species is most likely to disguise itself as a feline. A devil or demon ranks 10th overall, perhaps reflecting the misbehaving nature of some beloved furry family members.
Emerging trends in pet Halloween costumes are linked to pop culture trends. Dogpool, the Marvel Comics' canine equivalent of Deadpool, is the rise alongside fellow film character Beetlejuice, according to Google Frightgeist data.
Other popular dog costumes in 2024 include a stegosaurus, donkey, and hippo—the latter in homage to Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand who went viral this past September. Whether the costumed critter in question intends to capture hearts or treats, pet costumes are no passing trend.
Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
This story originally appeared on Ollie and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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