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How Cat and Pet Owners Can Deal With Fireworks

cats and fireworks

Cats and fireworks are never a good mix and you can be sure of one thing, no matter how much the rest of the population like fireworks and bonfire night no cat, dog or pet owner shares this sentiment. Every year cats and dogs up and down the country are scared senseless by noisy fireworks. People and animals are injured every year but is seems that as long as the government make a fortune on taxes we are unlikely to see an end to this ridiculous event. Anyway I will get off my soapbox and let you read this great article from Tina Mullineaux all about Fireworks and Cats. 

Tips For Cats and Bonfire Night

So it’s that time of year again; the dreaded bonfire night. It is hard for many to realise how the beautiful flashes of pinks, greens and blues that light up the night sky and usher in the longer winter nights can possibly be a bad thing. But for those of us that with animals, and particularly nervous cats, it can be a time of year many of us come to dread. As what sounds like World War 3 starts right outside your window, it is easy to see why many pets just cannot cope with the sudden noise. But there are practical things that you can do to make this time of year easier for your pets to deal with.

Following a few of the practical tips below may just help ease your nervous cat through this difficult time.

  • Keep your cat indoors. This may seem obvious but keeping your cat indoors at this time of year is excellent advice. Fireworks can start suddenly and a startled cat may just run without stopping to think we she is going. This may lead to her getting lost or worse, getting hit by traffic.
  • Try to fuss over her. The best thing to do when your cat is frightened by the loud bangs of the fireworks is to leave her alone. Make sure that the curtains are closed so that the strange sights do not add to her fear. If you try to cuddle her and fuss over her you are in affect rewarding this undesirable behaviour. Inadvertently you may also be teaching your cat that she is right to be frightened.
  • Make sure she has somewhere to hide. It doesn’t have to be fancy – a large cardboard box with a heated bed in or some of her favourite blankets will help her to feel secure and safe in her own space. If she retreats to her box then leave her be. Trying to get her to come out will only serve to stress her more.
  • Turn up the TV. Try to muffle out some of the noise by having the television on a little louder than normal.

Remedies for Cats Terrified of Fireworks

If your cat is really afraid it could be worth a visit to the vets to seek their advice on ways to handle her stress. Products that are designed to relieve stress in cats are always worth a try. For instance; Zylkene is an excellent product that I have used in the past to alleviate stress in cats. It has to be given over a period of time before the stressful event as it needs chance to build up in the cats system. You could also try a plug in diffuser – there are many different brands available online and even in large pet stores.

Whatever you do, try to act the same as you would on any other night of the week. Cats can pick up on how you are feeling and if you pay no attention to the noise then chances are they won’t either.

So do you have any hints and tips for relieving the stress that Bonfire Night and Fireworks inflict use on your cats, dogs and pets? Please add them in the comments box below.

About the author

Ross Davies

Ross is a UK Siamese & Oriental Cat Breeder breeding and showing his cats and kittens under the prefix Burnthwaites . He is the author on various cat related websites and blogs including 'Siamese Cat Breeder' and 'CattyLicious.com'.

Ross is the creator of this website and has lived with cats since being a very young child. He started breeding cats in 2001 and has showed them successfully breeding many best in show cats.

Ross is a GCCF cat judge and also sits on cat club committees and both the Oriental and Siamese Cat Joint Advisory Committees. He holds certification in both feline behaviour & psychology and also cat anxiety and stress.

Ross writes extensively about cats and has been featured in magazines such as Your Cat and Our Cats and also guest authored on newsletters for various cat organisations. He is also a guest speaker at cat seminars.


Tags

cat health, cats and fireworks


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