October 28, 2024 | News
Helping pets this Bonfire Night
Fireworks can be a source of anxiety for many animals. But you can help them feel safe this Bonfire Night with our top tips:
Dogs:
- Walk dogs during daylight hours to avoid times when fireworks are likely to be set off.
- Close windows and curtains to muffle the sound of fireworks.
- Put on some music or tv to mask the firework sounds.
- Create a quiet space where your dog can feel in control.
- Create a safe den area or hiding place for your dog.
Cats:
- Provide hiding places in your home.
- Keep cats in – cats can become more stressed if they’re outside during fireworks.
- Microchip your cats in case they’re startled and escape outside.
Rabbits:
- Give your rabbit lots of extra bedding so they can burrow down in it and get cosy. You could put a cardboard box full of hay, with holes cut in for easy access and exit, in their hutch to give them an extra place to hide.
- Bring your rabbits’ hutch or cage indoors. A quiet room is best, but an unused garage or shed is a good alternative if you can’t bring them into your house.
- If you can’t bring your pets inside, turn their enclosure around so it faces a wall or fence instead of the open garden. This will help to stifle the sound and prevent them from seeing the flashes of light. Cover their hutch with thick blankets or a duvet to block out the sound of the bangs and the sight of the fireworks, but make sure your pet still has enough ventilation.
- If you have a house rabbit or you are able to bring your pet inside, draw the curtains or black out the windows to block out the flashes of light in the night sky.
- Close the windows to muffle the sound from outside. Switching the TV or radio on might help too, but make sure it’s not too loud – especially if your rabbit isn’t used to noises from the television.
- Rabbits are social animals so keep them with the companion they’re familiar with to limit the stress of firework phobia.
Small pets:
- Hutches, cages and enclosures should, if possible, be brought into a quiet room indoors, or into a garage or shed.
- Give your pet extra bedding to burrow into so they feel safe.
- If you cannot bring your pet’s hutch inside, you should turn their enclosure around so that it faces a wall or fence instead of the open garden.
- Cover any aviaries or hutches with thick blankets or a duvet to block out the sight of the fireworks and deaden the sound of the bangs, but make sure there is enough ventilation.
Horses:
It’s not just animals in the home that can be scared of fireworks – horses can be too.
- Check locally to see if there are going to be any firework displays in your area.
- Where possible – tell the organisers of firework displays that horses are nearby and ask them to set off their fireworks in the opposite direction.