How to keep your cat (and other animals) safe during fireworks

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The Swiss National holiday takes place on August 1st every year : firecrackers, fireworks, and big fires are almost everywhere lit to celebrate the anniversary of our beautiful country.

Image Pixabay

Image Pixabay

The explosions of fireworks and firecrackers are terrifying for animals : their hearing, much more sensitive than ours, is assaulted by the noise. Animals are panicked and try to run away, with big risks of injuring themselves on obstacles or of being killed in a traffic accident.

How to keep your cat (and the other animals) safe during fireworks ?

  • Choose fireworks without explosion.
  • Use fireworks only the day of the event.
  • Light fireworks in a zone clear and distant from houses and from farms to avoid any danger of fire.
  • Light fireworks far from cowsheds and stables, and far from the pastures where are animals to avoid frightening them.
  • For the municipalities : build your big fires the day of the demonstration only, or protect them with a small roadblock 40 cms high which will be removed 1-2 hours before lighting the fire. These simple measures avoid a horrible death for numerous small animals as the hedgehogs, the mice, or the snakes for whom this wooden heap represents a perfect shelter.
  • Keep your cats and your dogs home, windows closed and curtains pulled. Behave as usual.
  • If your cat hides under the bed or at the top of a cupboard, leave him alone : it is there that he feels safe. Do not try to bring him out of his hiding place.

Pixie hidden in the bushes

19 thoughts on “How to keep your cat (and other animals) safe during fireworks

  1. Just Ducky

    Wonderful, we don’t do the big bonfires like you do in Europe. I am an inside kittie, mum keeps the windows closed during the boomer time and keeps me distracted with playtime.

  2. da tabbies o trout towne

    awesum post pixie & zorro….thanx be ta de cod in de seaz fire werkz iz
    done round heer…….for now ~~~~~~

    heerz two a righteye flounder kinda week oh end two ewe both ! ♥♥♥

  3. Flynn

    We don’t have fireworks near us but they can be seen across the river. I don’t like loud noises, but Eric used to sit in the window and watch them.

  4. Marg

    Those are some mighty good suggestions. We all hate fireworks too. They are very scary. Love that picture. That is one good place to hide. You all have a good week end.

  5. mommakatandherbearcat

    Every July 4th we go through the same thing here – I’ve learned to play music loudly – it seems counter-intuitive – but I think the constant noise level is easier on Bear. Every time I’ve done it, he’s finally fallen asleep within 5 minutes.

  6. The Menagerie Mom

    What great information! We celebrated our big fireworks day here in the US on July 4th. Luckily, none of my furbabies seem to care one bit about fireworks. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

  7. The daily pip

    Our guys were never bothered by fireworks until this year on July 4th. They were louder and longer than ever before. We kept the windows and curtains closed for sure.

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