Firework Season: Helping Your Pets Through the Bangs
For us, fireworks are a few minutes of "oohs" and "aahs". For a lot of pets, they're genuinely terrifying: sudden, deafening bangs with no warning and no explanation. And it's rarely just one night. Fireworks tend to run across the weekends either side of Bonfire Night, then come back for Diwali and New Year.
Dogs hear far more than we do, cats are wired to bolt from danger, and rabbits and guinea pigs are prey animals whose whole survival instinct says "loud noise = run". So if your pet trembles, hides or tries to climb inside your jumper when the bangs start, they're not being daft. They're scared.
The good news? A bit of preparation makes a real difference, and it's not too late to start.
Spotting the signs of fear
Some pets make it obvious. Others are much quieter about it. Look out for:
trembling, shaking or panting when they're not hot
pacing, restlessness, not settling
hiding under beds, behind the sofa or in the bath
clinginess, following you from room to room
lip licking, yawning, drooling or ears pinned back
toileting indoors, or trying to escape
cats disappearing for hours, or going off their food
rabbits and guinea pigs freezing, thumping or burying themselves in their bedding
Before the bangs start
Make sure they can be found if they bolt. This is the big one. Frightened pets do run, straight through a gap in the fence or an open front door. Check your pet's microchip details are up to date (new phone number? moved house?), and that your dog's collar tag has your name and address on it. It's a legal requirement when they're out in public, too.
Build a safe den. Somewhere small, cosy and enclosed: a crate with a blanket over the top, a spot behind the sofa, a cupboard with the door left ajar. Ideally, let your pet choose. Set it up a few days early so it already feels familiar, pop an old jumper of yours in there, and never pull them out of it.
Try sound therapy (if you've got time). Playing firework sounds very quietly while your dog is doing something they love (eating, playing, having a fuss) and building up slowly over weeks can teach them the noise isn't a threat. Dogs Trust has free recordings made for exactly this. It's a long game, so if it's too late for this year, make a start in the new year, ready for next time.
Talk to your vet early if their fear is severe. If your pet gets truly panicked (hurting themselves, destroying things, unable to settle for hours), please don't wait until the night itself. Some calming options need starting days or weeks ahead, and things like pheromone diffusers need plugging in a few days before to work properly. As a vet nurse, this is the one I'd really urge: the earlier you ask, the more can be done.
On the night (and the nights either side)
Walk early. Get your dog out for a good walk well before dark, so they're tired and toileted before it all kicks off. Any later garden trips should be on the lead, even in a garden you trust. A startled dog can clear a fence you never thought they could.
Shut everything. Doors, windows, cat flaps and curtains. Keep cats in from dusk, with a litter tray, food, water and somewhere high or hidden to retreat to.
Mask the noise. Telly up, radio on, calm music or white noise. It won't block the bangs, but it softens the jump from silence to BOOM.
Comfort them. Really. You can't "reinforce" fear by being kind; that's an old myth. If your pet wants to be close, let them. If they'd rather hide, let them do that too. The best thing you can be is calm and matter-of-fact, because they take their lead from you.
Give them something to do. Licking and chewing are naturally soothing for dogs and help them feel calmer. A frozen lick mat or a long-lasting chew in their den gives all that nervous energy somewhere to go.
Don't leave an anxious pet on their own. If you're heading out to a display, see if someone can stay with them. And please leave your dog at home rather than taking them along. Even confident dogs can be overwhelmed up close.
Never tell them off, even if there's an accident on the carpet or a chewed cushion. Fear isn't naughtiness.
Rabbits, guinea pigs and other small pets
An outdoor hutch can feel very exposed when the sky is exploding.
If you can, bring them indoors, or into a garage or shed, for a few nights. Somewhere secure and not too cold.
If they have to stay outside, turn the hutch to face a wall or fence, and cover part of it with a blanket, leaving plenty of gaps for air.
Pile in extra hay and bedding so they can burrow down and hide.
Check on them often, but quietly.
The morning after
Have a quick walk round the garden before you let your dog out. Spent fireworks, sticks and debris can land in gardens, and they're nasty if chewed or swallowed. Some pets are a bit wobbly for a day or two after a big night, so keep things calm and stick to their usual routine.
And if you're building a bonfire, check it for hedgehogs before you light it. They love a pile of sticks.
A little help for the den
Our go-tos for firework nights are long-lasting chews like yak bars, and frozen lick mats: something to settle into in their den that keeps them busy for a good while. Fill and freeze a lick mat a day or two ahead, and have a yak bar ready, so you're sorted before the first bang.
Firework season doesn't last forever, even if it feels like it. A bit of prep now and a calm, cosy night in can make it so much easier for everyone. 💜
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