4th July Fireworks And Pets

Fireworks are enjoyed year-round by people to celebrate the 4th July, but can be a source of fear to many animals.

This is not necessarily something which has to cause problems for the pet owner provided they take some precautions in respect to finding them somewhere they feel safe.

Making sure that your cat or dog has somewhere to hide and that importantly they have access to this area at all times. This may be a cupboard or under the bed but it must be readily available.

We recommend that you walk dogs during daylight hours and keep cats and dogs indoors when fireworks are likely to be set off. At nightfall, close curtains and put on some music to mask the sound of the fireworks for your pets. If your pet shows signs of fear, try to ignore it as this can compound the issue. Leave your pet alone unless they are likely to harm themselves.

Sounds scary – In the long-term, your dog needs to learn to be less afraid of noises and therefore may benefit from a treatment offered by the RSPCA called sounds scary. It’s a CD based therapy to lessen the impact of noise on animals.

If you are going out to a display, just ensure that your pets have a safe haven, with their favourite toy and close all curtains, blinds and doors to lessen the impact of the noise and lights.

If your display is going to be in your own garden area, you could consider going for quieter firework selections to lessen the impact and again, try to keep them inside and out-of-the-way of the children and other visitors as animals can be very unpredictable when they are afraid.

If you need help or advice on which of the Epic lines are best suited to pet owners, please get in touch.