Remember, remember it’s that time of year again — for our cats and dogs its the dreaded bonfire night.
The majority of our furry friends need to be kept indoors while the noisy fireworks go off outside. Luckily, there are several ways to spot your pets’ stress levels increasing. The most obvious are pacing, panting, shaking, trembling and barking. Some animals can become quite ‘clingy’ too. To help you out, here’s my Top Five few tips to help your four-legged friends on November 5:
1) Never take your dog to a firework display.
2) Walk your dog earlier in the day, before the fireworks start.
3) Make sure all doors, windows, cat flaps and curtains are closed and secured.
4) Try playing music with a repetitive beat to help mask the loud bangs.
5) If your pet does get scared, act normal and ignore the fireworks and any fearful behaviour. Don’t fuss or over-reassure them as this will reinforce that it is an appropriate response. Praise them when they are calm.
Also, I think it’s a good idea to let your dog hide if it wants to. Don’t drag them out from under the table or wherever they feel safe. And NEVER tell your dog off for being scared. They don’t understand what’s going on and have never heard of Guy Fawkes!
Hope these tips help — and mean we can ALL enjoy a safe bonfire night.
