Tips To Keep Your Pets Happy This Bonfire Night

Now I'll hold my hands up and admit that I don't like fireworks. They're ok to look at but the noise drives me mad. But the main reason I can't stand them, and the reason that I find neighbours who set them off so inconsiderate, is that they really upset my dog. He cries, he howls, he shakes, he hides; in short he is not a happy spaniel. 

I do everything I can to keep him as calm as possible, but I dread this time of year. It seems to be one long run from Halloween right up until New Years. 

Because I'm fairly certain that if you have pets too you'll understand what I'm talking about, I thought I'd share a few tips to hopefully make this Bonfire Night slightly less stressful!

• Keep your pets INDOORS whenever you think that fireworks could go off, basically whenever it's dark. If you do take them outside for a toilet trip make sure that they have collars & ID tags on, and if you can try and keep dogs on a lead. If you have outdoor cats try and make them indoor cats for a while, and lock any cat flaps.
• If you have outdoor pets such as rabbits or even chickens, then try and move them somewhere more sheltered. If you have a garage or shed move them in there. If you can't move them make sure they have plenty of extra bedding so that can hide themselves in it, and consider covering their home with a tarp or blanket to stop the flashing lights & to muffle some of the sounds.
• For the pets you can bring indoors make sure they have a safe space. This should be somewhere dark and quiet. If your dog has a crate let them have access to that and drape some towels or blankets over the top to make it cosy. For cats leave their carrier open to them in case they want to hide in their and give them a soft blanket to cuddle. My dog tends to just curl up on his bed in the kitchen, but I do keep it dark and I play the radio for him to distract from the loud bangs. I spend as much time with him as possible so that he doesn't start pining. 
• Plan ahead: consider feeding your pets dinner a bit earlier so that they can then nip outside to the loo before it gets dark and it's time to come inside. 
• Make sure that they have things to distract themselves with, so this could be a favourite toy, a blanket or a yummy treat. Dogs can reduce anxiety by chewing, so if you'd like to save your shoes try a doggy chew or rawhide.
• If your pet does get stressed out by the noises try and stay as neutral as possible. This is mainly for dogs; don't make a huge fuss because then they know it's a big deal, but make sure you don't tell them off either as it's not their fault. Just stay with them and stay relaxed and calm, this will reduce their stress & anxiety.

My last point isn't about pets, but about the animals outside.. if you're lighting a bonfire then PLEASE CHECK FOR HEDGEHOGS AND OTHER ANIMALS FIRST! This can be done by simply moving your bonfire from one place to another, that way you know you haven't missed anything. 

You may remember that we tried out some yummy dog treats from Betty Miller a couple of months ago (review here), these included some calming treats. We've used them a couple of times (trips to the vets, etc) and I'm hoping that they'll help take some of the stress away again when the fireworks start! You can also buy plug-in and sprays to help calm your dogs and cats down, but we haven't tried those before.

If you have any tips for keeping your pets calm at this time of year I'd love to hear them, so please drop me a comment!

Stay safe, x