Hoodies, dresses, and turtlenecks. These are common, everyday articles of clothing that no one should be surprised to see. Unless, of course they happen to be worn by a cat or dog. On a day other than Halloween. Dressing up the pets can be a controversial topic, but as pets become more and more like regular family members, some people seem to think that they need to be treated like regular, human members of the family.
The general consensus is that if the pet likes it, or at least doesn’t mind being dressed up, then there’s nothing wrong with it. Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with putting your Chihuahua in a warm coat before you take a stroll out into a Minnesotan winter. But what about summer dresses and bonnets and football jerseys? This sort of dress-up is becoming more and more popular and there’s no shortage of online retailers willing to help your pet look its best. Again, the rule of thumb is that if your pet gets a kick out of it, then no harm done.
If your pet squirms or fidgets or otherwise acts uncomfortable in clothing, however, then you might want to save the duds for the humans of the household. Or at the very least, try to slowly acclimatize your pet to the idea of wearing clothes. After all, the only thing worse than a Beagle in a bow tie is a Beagle in a bow tie who desperately wants out of it.
