5 Tips to Help your Pet during Firework Shows

Do you have a fur baby?

Dogs and Cats really are put through the ringer on the days leading up to the 4th of July and even a few days after.  Most of us here on the blog have Pets, and it’s an incredibly challenging time for them… 

The 4th can ALSO be a difficult time for Soldiers/Vets who have served on deployments too (but that’s an entirely different post!)  Since we are coming up on the 4th, we thought we’d share a few days to help your pet this holiday.

Keep your PetsIindoors

Smaller Dogs and cats get especially upset, but even big tough dogs and outdoor cats get very nervous during firework displays.

Its really important for them to feel safe when the air around them is exploding with strange sounds. Being outside, hearing people cheering or screaming, smelling smoke, hearing the fireworks or seeing the bright lights will scare them even more. If at all possible make sure to get them indoors. Prepare today, pick up a baby gate at Walmart or your local Thrift store to help corral them indoors. If you can’t bring them inside make sure your yard has a place for them to hide inside, that the gates are locked or that they can’t jump them. Too many pets end up killed being hit by cars when they escape their yards.

Build them a Safe Place

If you have a kennel or can borrow one or buy a used one it would help to keep them inside one if you are home. Pick a quiet, dark room in your house and if you can cover the kennel with a blanket to help muffle the noise. Even a larger box that you can stand on its side and fit in their bed, blanket will help them feel safer

White Noise

If you have a soothing sound machine or even a radio, make sure to turn that on in the room where you are keeping your pet to help drown out the noise coming in from outside. Even their kennel in the laundry room and the dryer running will help soothe them.

Aromatherapy

Some pets respond positively to the same scents we like to use to calm down. If you regularly light candles, or use a diffusers for essential oils this might also help your pet calm down.

Consult your Vet

If you have already tried to prepare as much as you can and your pet still suffered uncontrollable anxiety in past years, make a call to your Vet and ask if there is something he can prescribe to help him or if one of the many Over the Counter products they sell at PetCo is something he or she would recommend.

(Anything we forgot? What do you do to help your pets on the 4th?)