Creative Costumes and Holiday Safety Make for a Fun Halloween

DAYTON, OH -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/14/2003 -- Don't be surprised if you spot
four legs and a tail wagging under a costumed trick-or-treater this Halloween.

A growing number of people are dressing up their furry friends in pet costumes
for Halloween.

In fact, 66 percent of pet owners deck out their dog or cat for the howling
holiday, according to a recent survey from The Iams Company. The survey also
showed pet parents are pretty creative when it comes to costumes, dressing
their pets as everything from punk rockers to porcupines. This year's top pet
costume picks a

-- Pumpkin
-- Witch
-- Cowboy and devil -- tied
-- Clown
-- Halloween bandana

While dressing up your pet in a costume can be a lot of fun, Dr. Dan Carey, a
veterinarian with Iams, suggests pet parents take a moment to consider safety
before costuming Fido or Fluffy.

According to The Iams Company,
66 percent of pet owners dress their cat or dog in costume for Halloween. "Many
pet owners like to include their dog or cat in their Halloween celebrations,
and pets enjoy being part of the family fun, as well," says Dr. Carey.
"However, many pets aren't used to wearing clothes and could get stressed in a
costume."

He offers these tips to ensure a safe and festive Halloween night for ghosts
and goblins with two and four legs:

-- Simple costumes are best. When choosing a costume for your pet, make sure
the outfit doesn't restrict movement or hamper vision. Consider doing a couple
of dress rehearsals to make sure your pet is comfortable in his or her costume.


-- If you take your dog along trick-or-treating, make sure he or she is on a
leash. More than one in 10 pet parents take a pet trick-or-treating, according
to a survey commissioned by Iams. But please remember, even the tamest of dogs
can get excited during the Halloween commotion.

-- Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin. Pets may knock your jack-o- lantern
over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting
burned.

-- Keep Halloween candy out of reach. Chocolate can be especially toxic to
pets. Also watch out for empty candy wrappers. If your pet ingests them, they
could cause upset tummies and, in the case of foil wrappers, even cause cuts.
Contact your veterinarian if you suspect your pet has eaten wrappers.

-- Don't trick your dog with the wrong treat. Have tasty nutritional treats on
hand like Iams® Biscuits or Eukanuba® Healthy Extras™.

If you have an outdoor pet, consider bringing him or her in for the night. Some
trick-or-treaters can take mischief too far and animals, especially black cats,
make easy targets, unfortunately. In fact, many shelters do not allow black
cats to be adopted during the month of October.

Make sure pets are wearing proper identification. Shelters see an increase in
pet arrivals after Halloween, as some pets can slip outside and escape when
trick-or-treaters come calling.

About The Iams Company

For more than 50 years, The Iams Company has enhanced the well-being of dogs
and cats by providing world-class quality foods. To learn more about Eukanuba®
and Iams® dog and cat foods, the Eukanuba Veterinary Diets™ line of canine
and feline diets, or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams
Consumer Care Center at (800) 863-4267. You also can visit Iams on the Web at
www.iamsco.com.