Topic: Animals and fireworks

[twinkletoes]

I have a little rough coated JR called Millie and one of her best mates is a smoothe coated JR called Jonah.  Neither care much for the fireworks but both react quite differently.   Millie barks at them and is quite willing to go into the garden and give them a piece of her mind.   Poor old Jonah on the other hand is reduced to a quivering jelly.  How do you cope at this time of the year with your pets?
Twinkletoes

[manicscousers]

lots of cuddles and reassurance, bit like kids  :)

[twinkletoes]

Yep that's all you want to do but I've heard animal behaviourists say you should ignore the animal to show that whatever has upset them is not to be feared????    Try telling that to poor old Jonah while you are watching him shake.......   I reckon cuddles all the way too.  My previous JR, Patch, reacted just like Jonah and he was much cuddled.  Thanks Manics.

[manicscousers]

sod the behaviourists, it's your animal, go with your instincts  ;D

[froglets]

I sit with the cat with a reassuring hand on her, but don't make any kind of fuss.  I try & let here know it's normal & not to be focussed on.  we've desensitised her to us sneezing, coughing and having her feet touched ( for vet visits) and while she will always jump at the bangs, hopefully we're getting her to worry less.

My friends cat disappears round the back of the sofa when the doorbell goes because my friend always rushes to make a fuss of him when she sees someone coming to the door.  When I've been cat sitting, I don't fuss and he just sits there looking wary - I'd reccommend not making a fuss, just communicating calm & safe.

[star]

I just act normal 8), whatever that is!

I found when hubbly's about he fusses over them and talks constantly, they are so much more jumpy with that. But I do think it all depends on their personality and yours. We all do what works best all round, turning sounds on loud also helps ;)

[carolinej]

My Cavalier Knig Charles Spaniel is completely oblivious to fireworks. She sleeps through them, and if wandering down the garden when one goes off, she doesnt flinch. If I didnt know better, I'd think she was deaf. As it is, she is very lazy, and probably cant be bothered to react. Yawn....

cj :)

[star]

Eh? What did you say?........... :P

[lorna]

My KC Cavalier used to climb on the back of the settee and try and claw through the wall. Vet suggested ACP tablets which calm her a little but I usually turn my music up loud and we manage to get through. Good job daughter lives next door ;D I just wish the noise wouldn't go on for so many nights.

[asbean]

One of our cats hides in the airing cupboard (behind the piles of sheets, towels etc) and we've made a nest for him there. After the fireworks a couple of years ago he liked it so much he decided he would sleep in there all the time, even in the hottest part of the summer last year!  We call it his bunker!

Our other cat (his brother) doesn't mind a bit, just puts his ears back if there is an especially noisy explosion.

[ACE]

We have tried ignoring Flynn who has a very loud bark and scuttles under my legs when he hears them going off. It don't make a bit of difference. He was the same with shotguns once, but he ignores them now.

It is strange that he will watch them on the telly and just ignore them. Perhaps as his hearing is a lot more sensitive than ours the real noise hurts his ears.