Most costume disasters happen in the first thirty seconds, while a pet is being posted head-first through a sleeve they cannot see the end of. This one avoids that entirely. It drapes over the back and shoulders like a small cloak and closes with poppers underneath, so nothing has to be threaded over a leg or past the ears. For an animal who has refused every outfit before, that difference is usually the whole battle.

The body is soft fleece, which gives a little warmth on a cold doorstep and, more usefully, has enough weight to hang properly instead of riding up. The hood carries the character, sitting on top of the head rather than enclosing it, so ears stay free and vision is not blocked. The poppers matter on the way off as much as the way on: if your pet has had enough halfway through the evening, the whole thing comes away in one movement.

• Hooded fleece cape in Orange Pumpkin, White Ghost or Black Bat
• Jack-o'-lantern hood with a little stalk on the pumpkin design
• Poppers fasten under the chest, with no legs to thread
• Sizes XS, S, M, L and XL
• Soft fleece adds a bit of warmth outdoors
• Light enough for cats and small-to-medium dogs

Two things worth knowing. And any costume, this one included, is for short supervised periods only: dress up for photographs and the doorstep, then take it off.

Who it's for: Owners who want one seasonal photograph and a doorstep appearance from a pet who has never tolerated a proper costume.