We all know the 4th of July often becomes a day of celebration, with gathering of friends, barbecues or picnics, and of course lots of fireworks. We enjoy our fine fireworks displays but what about our pets? Some of them can become terrified. Read here to learn how to calm your cat during 4th of July fireworks.
Keep Your Cat Inside
First of all, if your cat goes outdoors, at this time it’s best to keep him in. Start this process a few days before the 4th, as sometimes people begin celebrating well before the actual holiday. Ir’a important that you do not let kitty out during this time, as more pets get lost during this holiday because it’s often traumatic for them.
If your kitty does escape, hopefully you have provided him with a collar holding an ID. In addition, it is also a good idea to have him microchipped, as this type of ID will last forever, and may prove very useful at some later time.
Make Sure To Have A Good Photo On Hand
Make sure you have a current picture of your cat in case he escapes. You might need it for making posters about a lost cat. Preparing ahead of time will always help things to turn out for the best.
Create A Safe Place For Kitty To Hide.
Fix up a safe place for your cat. A quiet inner room away from windows would make the ideal kitty hideaway, especially if it has a bed that he can go under to hide. Underneath beds has always belonged more to cats than to people. It’s dark and quiet, and normally kitty does not get disturbed when he’s under there.
If he does not have a bed in the room to hide under, prepare an alternative place. Perhaps you can put a well-liked kitty bed, his favorite blanket, and a couple of his best toys in a closet, where he will be well-hidden and will feel safe.
Try Some Chemicals
Have you ever used pheromone therapy to calm a frightened cat? If not, this could supply the ideal time to try it. Spray kitty’s “safe zone” with some Feliway spray, or perhaps plug in a Comfort Zone diffuser. Either of these should help the cat to cope with stress.
Monitor Kitty’s Behavior From Time To Time
Be sure to check on your cat now and then to make sure she is okay. Supply a litter box, food, and water for her. Let guests know that for today visiting kitty is off-limits, as you want no chance that the cat will escape.
Also, your guests need not give tidbits of their feast to kitty. If you barbecue, the seasonings and grease might not serve kitty well. She doesn’t need a tummy ache or something worse from eating the wrong food.
Close All Doors And Windows
Doing so will lower the volume of the noise slightly, which might prove useful. Also, if you keep all doors and windows closed, your cat will have less chance to escape. You want to avoid the chance of such an escape if at all possible. Don’t add to the statistics telling us more cats than normal go missing during this holiday.
Distractions Can Help
If your cat becomes anxious while the fireworks erupt, find ways to distract her. Try tempting her with her favorite interactive toys. If she shows not the slightest interest, perhaps music might help.
Don’t make it so loud that it competes with the firework’s noise. You can even purchase music that has the purpose of soothing cats. Try “Through a Cat’s Ear,” which is music specifically designed for fearful or stressed cats. It’s supposed to calm them during such experiences.
Avoid Punishment
At such a time, do not punish your pet. He is frightened, not disobedient. You will only make matters worse if you pile punishment on top of his fear. You would create a negative impact with such action.
Don’t Fuss Over Him
Trying to soothe your cat with human words ain’t gonna cut it. Kitty will not believe you if you say things like “It’s OK.” It may soothe you, but not your kitty. Instead, find a way to comfort that fits their needs. Pet them, or play a game they enjoy. Pay attention to their response to the situation and do not try to enforce some kind of behavior.
Plan ahead and try to come up with a way or ways to minimize your cat’s stress. Dealing with the 4th of July might represent a fun experience to you, but our pets may see the whole thing much differently.
Say A Prayer Of Gratitude
During the holiday, you may find a few over-zealous folk who start their fireworks a few days early. However, the most of the noise will finish by the end of the day on July 4th. Then peace will reign.
I can’t help but think about the war in Ukraine, where people and animals both become frightened, and the fear lasts for days; weeks; months. I think to myself, how fortunate for us that the noise mostly lasts for one day. Neither we nor our animals have to flee for our lives. We do not lose our homes to bombing.
Every day, I say a prayer of gratitude that we don’t have to deal with this continuous fear. How fortunate, to carry on our lives in relative peace and harmony while so many have had their lives disrupted or ended.
Please remember to say your own prayer of gratitude, as well as to send out hopes and wishes that this purposeless war will end soon and people can eventually resume a normal life. While you are saying prayers of gratitude, say one giving thanks that we have a day when we can celebrate our independence.
References I used for this post: catingtonpost.com/4th-of-july-survival-guide-cats/ pawtracks.com/cats/cats-fourth-july/ meowingtons.com/blogs/lolcats/how-to-help-your-cat-cope-with-fireworks-4th-of-jukly pawtracks.com/cats/cats-fourth-july/