8 Spooky-Fun Halloween Games for Dogs and Cats

Make this Halloween memorable by throwing the best pet Halloween party on the block. And what party is complete without some games?

When considering games for pets at your party, don’t forget to choose some games in which parents can participate as well. Playing games is a great way to keep all your guests—both two- and four-legged—entertained.

From a new take on the classic bobbing for apples to a game that puts the emphasis on the “trick” in “trick-or-treating,” we’ve rounded up eight fun dog-friendly and cat-friendly Halloween party games to play at your Halloween pet party this year.

Make your party extra spooky with Halloween costumes for both furry friends and their pet parents. In preparation for the party, let guests know there will be a Halloween-themed pet costume contest. That way, they know to bring their A game (and to bring their pets in costume).

For the Pet Costume Contest:

1. Gather all entrants together and then let partygoers vote on the best costume. To avoid everyone voting for their own pet, institute a rule in which you have to vote for a pet other than your own.
2. Provide prizes, like Frisco’s mummy and coffin squeaky toy, for the first-, second- and third-place winners. And don’t forget to reward all participating pets with some delicious Halloween treats, like Merrick’s Oven Baked Pumpkin Patch dog treats.

Create a haunted (dog or cat) house designed especially for puppers and kitties to play around in.

To play DIY Hoppy Haunted House:

1. Designate an enclosed area for your Haunted House. To do so, you can use an EliteField 2-Door Soft-Sided Dog & Cat Playpen or the IRIS 6-Panel Plastic Exercise Dog Playpen. Or, section off a part of your home using a walk-through gate where dogs and cats can go to chill when they need a break from the excitement.
2. Decorate the space with your favorite cat and dog toys, like tennis balls, kitty wands and more. Or, design your own spooky decor using cat and dog-safe materials.
3. Now, watch the puppies and/or kittens play!

Bobbing for apples is one of the most popular Halloween party games ever played. This version created specifically for dogs requires food bowls, Grandma Lucy’s Organic Pumpkin Dog Treats and The Honest Kitchen’s Bone Broth with turmeric. Stock up on enough dog bowls for every pup who wants to play.

To play Bobbing for Treats:

1. Fill each bowl with bone broth.
2. Drop the dog treats in the broth just before it’s time to play.
3. Place each dog in front of their bowl, then let them bob for treats. First doggy to eat all their treats wins.

Dogs who are on a specific diet, have weight issues or who are food-aggressive should not be allowed to participate.

There are plenty of Halloween party games for dogs where everyone can be a winner—like A Hunt for Hounds, which treats your canine party guests to Halloween-themed treats, like Blue Buffalo’s Boo Bar dog biscuits.

To play A Hunt for Hounds, hide the dog treats around your home or yard. Make sure the items are hidden in safe places and areas free of items that could be broken. As a pet parent, you can participate in the hunt by helping your pup find the hidden treasures.

This is a great Halloween party game for both pets and parents.

To play Trick for a Treat:

1. Equip each parent with delicious Halloween-themed treats, like The Lazy Dog Cookie Co.’s “Spooktacular Snacks” dog treats.
2. Line up parents with their pets.
3. Then, announce popular tricks and commands, like “sit” and “up,” for pet parents to call out.

Pups are rewarded with a delicious treat for each trick they complete. The dog who does the most tricks is rewarded with his or her own goodie bag of delicious treats to go. Or make their victory even sweeter, with a special Goody Box for the road.

Fans of zombie films and TV shows, put a dog-friendly twist on the horror monster classic with this game.

To play Zombie Race Obstacle Course:

1. Create a set of racing lanes using painter’s tape, cardboard boxes, ropes or other boundaries.
2. Place treats at the finish line.
3. Get creative with dog-safe agility items, like these from Better Sporting Dogs, where you can test how well your zombie pups would do with a few obstacles in their way.
4. Let two or more dogs race each other to see who is the faster zombie!

To play this cat-friendly Halloween party game, you’ll need paper bags and arts and crafts supplies. Items such as non-toxic markers, crayons, pipe cleaners and non-toxic paints will work well.

To play Possessed Kitties:

1. Have your guests decorate each bag with a Halloween theme. Bags can depict anything from a spooky Jack-O-Lantern to Frankenstein.
2. Once completed, place the bags on the floor, and release the cats. Make sure to capture the cats in action, as they roll around like they’re possessed in the hauntingly decorated bags.

In this version of musical chairs, each participant will clamor for a spot on the floor.

To play Musical Squares:

1. Create a monster mash playlist full of Halloween-themed songs.
2. In lieu of chairs, use painter’s tape to create multiple squares on the floor. Another option is to use the sides of large Chewy boxes to create flat cardboard frames to define the areas.
3. Play music for a short period of time, and when the music stops, each pup will need to find a square to sit or stand in. Pet parents can use treats to get their pups to stop in place.
4. Remove a square each time the music stops to make it harder for pups to find an open spot. The last dog sitting or standing wins!

Thank your guests by setting up a DIY photo booth with a polaroid camera, so they can always remember the fun.

Create a background, like a pumpkin patch or graveyard design, gather your favorite cat and dog toys to use as props, and keep plenty of special treats on hand to help furry friends stay still during the snaps (peanut butter is always a big hit!).

Pet parents can get their furry friends in the spirit this spooky season with a few Halloween games they’ll never forget. A bit of creativity (and plenty of treats) is all you need to get started.