When I was a kid, I stumbled upon a book called “Wild Animals I Have Known” by Ernest Thompson Seton. I don’t recall any of the book’s contents, but its title has stuck in my brain ever since.

Ayyy, Chihuahua! This tiny entrant in the 2011 Pet Masquerade carried his own tequila in handy saddlebags. (Photo by Rob O'Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)

It’s echoing particularly loudly these days, as Key West’s Pet Masquerade draws near and people all over the island prepare mild-mannered domestic pets to impersonate some of the wildest animals on the planet.

The annual costume contest for people and pets is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of Fantasy Fest, Key West’s internationally famed 10-day masking and costuming festival.

In fact, Pet Masquerade draws dozens of competitors that range from dogs and cats to potbellied pigs, snakes, exotic birds and even a few strange-looking lizards. Some entries are simple pet-and-person pairings, while others are multi-member animal and human ensembles that perform offbeat skits.

The 2011 contest, for example, included a Great Dane costumed as a Florida lobster, five festive jellyfish, a complicated coral reef ensemble featuring a bowl of live goldfish, and a wildly popular Chihuahua “burro” with tiny saddlebags holding tequila.

As his expression indicates, Alex the Norwegian Forest Cat never quite got comfortable in his Fantasy Fest finery.

As a veteran Pet Masquerade spectator, and friend to many animal and human competitors, I’ve learned a few things over the years — and I offer them here for any “party animals” preparing to compete.

Cats don’t like dressing in drag. I once tried to costume a 20-pound male Norwegian Forest Cat named Alex, who was very conscious of his dignity, in a tasteful silk dress and a rope of pearls for Pet Masquerade. Getting him used to his finery was a lengthy process involving hisses, claws and curses (both human and feline).

Finally Alex convinced me, in his subtle catly way, that competing was not a viable option. After I promised him at least 37 times that I would never attempt to dress him in drag again, he forgave me (I think).

Certain methods of costume-training a dog work better than others. Just ask Georgia resident Jeff Hrizuk, who participated a few years back with his Australian cattle dog, K.C. Dressed as a black widow spider to complement Jeff’s gauzy spiderweb outfit, K.C. seemed completely comfortable in his costume — which included six spider legs made of felt-wrapped wire.

Past Pet Masquerade entries have ranged from the simple to the extraordinarily intricate ... like this one involving a very patient dog. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

“It took two weeks to train him to wear the costume,” Jeff reported. “The first time we put it on him, he was afraid of it. Then we started giving him a steak, putting the costume on, and giving him another steak afterwards. Pretty soon he was really eager to put it on.”

Beware of body paint — for yourself and your animal friends. One year, Key West mortgage banker David Koontz was part of a Pet Masquerade ensemble starring a lovely female Borzoi. Her human companion, Madeleine, choreographed a musical number for the dog and a multi-person costumed entourage to perform. The costume she chose for David included purple body paint applied liberally to his skin and hair.

Unfortunately, after the contest it didn’t wash off very well. The next day, David flew to New York for a national mortgage bankers’ conference — where his faintly purple “aura” elicited some very strange comments.

Remember that St. Bernards are not lightweights. Skip and Carol Radin brought their five-year-old St. Bernard dog, Wilhelmina, all the way from Saco, Maine, to compete in Pet Masquerade a few years back.

Kelsey Morris and her duck Prissy shared "top billing" in a past Pet Masquerade. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Accompanied by two fellow Saco residents, they staged a “St. Bernard rescue” with a twist. Dressed as keg-bearing St. Bernards, the human contingent rolled a supposedly intoxicated Wilhelmina onto a large gurney and carried her away — with some difficulty, since a reclining St. Bernard is a fairly heavy burden even for a group.

A Fantasy Fest favorite for kids and grownups, Pet Masquerade benefits Lower Keys Friends of Animals. The 2012 competition begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at Key West’s beautiful Casa Marina Resort.

Don’t miss it — and I guarantee you’ll encounter more “wild animals” than Ernest Thompson Seton ever did.