5 effective ways to keep pets calm during fireworks

1. Let out some energy

With the nights getting dark early, firework displays can start sooner than you realise.

It’s a good idea to give your dog a nice, long walk during the day to let off any excess energy which could lead to anxiety later.

If you’re able to let them off the lead, great! If not, strap them into their favourite harness and take them for a few laps before it gets dark.

For the cat in your life, you can keep them occupied with a new interactive toy for mental and physical stimulation. This isn’t just great fun for your cat, but an entertaining way for you to connect with your feline friend!

2. Pick a room

Whenever you know there’s going to be fireworks, choose a safe and secure room in your house that your pet is familiar with.

Preparing your pet’s room to minimise noise and light can also be a great excuse to upgrade some household furnishings.

A new set of blinds isn’t just for privacy: good blackout blinds will block any harsh lights from fireworks as well as keep some of the heat in your room as the weather starts cooling down!

Plush blankets and throws can add a splash of colour to your decor and offer warmth and cosiness to animals and humans alike, so it’s well worth putting some down on any furnishings to help your pet feel comfortable and avoid potential damage.

3. Make them comfy

When you’re creating a haven for your pet, surrounding them with familiar items like their favourite plush bed will help to bring a sense of calm.

Some cats prefer to feel enclosed, so a pod-style bed is particularly useful when there’s loud noises outside! Likewise, during quieter periods, welcome distractions like dog and cat toys will keep them busy and make sure they feel safe and familiar in their room.

For indoor and outdoor cats alike, we highly recommend filling their litter tray with fresh litter and keeping that in the room with them. This is beneficial not only for the cat, but also for you; no one wants to clean up a mess after fireworks!

To help them out, you can also use calming tablets and diffusers for your cat or dog if they’re especially prone to being frightened.

4. Background noise

This is arguably the most important aspect to keeping pets calm during fireworks. Unexpected loud noises like fireworks can easily startle animals, making them scared and more likely to try and escape.

This is especially dangerous for cats, who will instinctually try to flee and risk injury if outdoors.

For the sake of your pet’s happiness (as well as the state of your soft furnishings), turning on your speaker or TV for background noise will greatly reduce the surprise of an exploding firework.

Anything with a continuous level of sound is perfect – a sports game on the TV or radio is perfect for this, and your pet doesn’t mind who is playing!

Make sure to turn off any settings on your TV or radio that cause it to power down after inactivity, especially if you’re not going to be in the house.

For peace of mind, you can set up a camera in the room so you can check in on your furry friends to make sure they’re okay.

5. Keep them company

It’s a shame that our pets don’t speak our language – it would make things a lot easier if we could tell them what was going on!

However, we can communicate with our pets in a language they do understand… treats!

Rewarding your pets during firework season will create a more positive outlook for them during a stressful time, as well as strengthen the bond between you – just remember not to go overboard.

In a similar way, grooming can really help to keep your pet relaxed, especially with cats, so remember to check in with your animals and remind them that you’re still there.

Now that you’ve done what you can for your pets, it’s time for you to enjoy your party.

It isn’t just our pets that can get stressed at a fireworks party – entertaining a group can be daunting in itself!

Take the stress out of hosting by batch cooking a hearty meal in a slow cooker, or open your very own all-you-can-eat buffet with a handy hot plate and lay out a spread fit for royalty with classy serving bowls.

Planning your food ahead and batch-cooking as much as you can means you have more time to spend looking after your pets and entertaining guests!

We hope you enjoy your fireworks safely, wherever you are.