Watch out, Christmas. Halloween is rapidly catching up to Santa territory as a holiday where we spend more than we intend to on everything from costumes to decor. The selection of dress-up outfits for the occasion is enormous, and sometimes the price tags are, too. Even pet costumes can be ridiculously expensive, and yet you still might be tempted to indulge.

Why do we dress up our dogs and cats on October 31? It's not like they're anxious to collect a bucketful of mini-Kit Kats and lollipops. And pets don't have our sense of fashion and fun; they don't know why a lion's mane hood or Harry Potter cape looks so awesome on them. Pet author Alexandra Horowitz told The New Yorker that for dogs, wearing a costume may make them feel submissive, because the pressure on their body is similar to having an alpha male lean or stand over them to assert dominance. Still, Horowitz added, a dog may go along with the spirit of the day for the sake of the attention and the treats its owner gives for being a good sport, and this may be true for other pets as well. So we revel in the goofy/creepy fun of going against the norm on this night of let's-pretend, and bring our pets into it because they look so Instagrammably cute in their hot-dog and biker suits.

While some pet Halloween getups for your pet are easy on the wallet, others will mean eating boxed mac 'n' cheese for a week or two. But if you love the holiday and your pet equally, the memory of a showstopping Halloween could be worth the expense. Take a look at some of the designer pet duds available online now.