It is common knowledge that many household pets are fearful of fireworks. Bonfire night can be stressful and even dangerous for pets when they are in the safety of their own home.
There’s a lot of advice online including tips and even behaviour training, if you’d like to consider such activities in time for next year. However we thought it would be a great topic for our blog today to help you keep them as calm and safe as possible. We’ve listed a few points below which we feel would really make a difference.
If you are worried or concerned about your 4 legged friends, sometimes the best thing you can do is keep them close and just be present on the night so they are not alone. There’s also something to be said for enjoying displays within the warmth of your own home too. That being said, here are more of our top tips for your pets on bonfire night:
- Make sure your dog or cat always has somewhere to hide if he or she wants to and has access to this place at all times. For example, this could be in their usual bed as this is a familiar item or even under some furniture.
- During fireworks season, walk dogs during daylight hours and keep cats and dogs indoors at times when fireworks are likely to be set off, as the evening get darker earlier it is always possible that some could start from around 5pm.
- At nightfall, close windows and curtains and put on music to mask and muffle the sound of fireworks, Classic FM have created a live playlist which will air on the 4th and 5th of November hosted by Charlotte Hawkins.
- It’s fine to comfort your pet if it helps them relax, some prefer to leave them alone unsure of how they will react, it really depends on your pet, always do what you feel is best for everyone within your household.
- Never punish your pets when they’re scared and/or distressed as this will only makes things worse, as mentioned above try playing music to mask some of the noise from firework displays and comfort them where possible.
- Make sure your cat or dog is always kept in a safe and secure environment and can’t escape if there’s a sudden bang, as you know firework displays can be loud at times and there can be unexpected bangs especially as a display comes to a close.
- Have your pet microchipped in case they do escape, this will not only help you get reunited should they go astray but it also means that if anything were to happen and they were found or taken to a local veterinary practice you would be notified right away.
If you have outdoor pets, you may also like to try the following:
- Partly cover cages, pens and aviaries with large towels or blankets so that one area is well sound-proofed however, make sure that your pet is still able to see out.
- Provide lots of extra bedding so your pet has something to burrow in, this will help reduce the sound similar to when we have carpet fitted in a home it acts as a sound barrier. Only a simple change but this can make a big difference to some household pets.
We hope everyone enjoys bonfire night and the display of fireworks in various areas and locations and remind you please do not let off any fireworks if you are staying in a holiday lodge here at Fingle Glen Lodges. Whilst we appreciate our lodge owners and holiday makers like to celebrate seasonal events, bonfire night is one we ask you to enjoy from afar… That’s not to say you can’t enjoy local displays from the comfort of a hot tub however!
Interested in booking a weekend away for next year’s celebrations? Browse our website for more information on holiday lodges, or lodges for sale here at Fingle Glen Lodges.