For many pets, fireworks night is the most frightening night of the year. The sky flashes, the house shakes, and there is no way to understand that it will stop. Surveys suggest that around half of dogs show fear of loud noises, and cats are often affected too — they just hide it better.
Weeks before
- Talk to your vet if your pet has been very frightened in previous years. There are effective medications for noise fear, but they need to be prescribed and ideally tested before the night itself.
- Check microchip details — fireworks season is the peak time for lost pets.
- Build a den: a covered crate or a corner behind the sofa, with bedding and a few items that smell of you. Let your pet use it freely so it becomes a familiar refuge.
On the day
- Walk dogs earlier, in daylight, before the fireworks start. Keep them on a lead — frightened dogs bolt.
- Keep cats indoors from late afternoon, with a litter tray available.
- Close curtains, shut windows and cat flaps, and turn on the television or music to mask the bangs.
- Feed a filling evening meal and offer a long-lasting chew or food puzzle.
- Stay home if you can.
During the fireworks
Let your pet choose where to hide and don’t pull them out. Stay calm yourself.
It is fine to comfort a frightened pet. The old advice that comforting “rewards” fear has not held up: fear is an emotion, not a behaviour that can be reinforced by kindness. If your dog wants to lean against you, let them.
Never punish a frightened pet, and never take a noise-phobic dog to a fireworks display. Fear can escalate quickly into panic, and panicking animals injure themselves.
Signs of fear
Trembling, panting, pacing, hiding, clinging, drooling, trying to escape, toileting indoors. In cats: hiding, flattened body, dilated pupils, refusing food.
Changing the fear for next year
Noise fears tend to get worse with each frightening experience, but they can be improved with gradual desensitisation. Months before the next season, play recordings of fireworks at a volume so low your pet barely notices, pair them with meals or games, and increase the volume very slowly over weeks. Stop at any sign of fear. A veterinary behaviourist can guide you for severe cases.
It takes patience. But a pet who sleeps through next year’s fireworks is worth it.
Questions owners ask
Can I give my dog something to calm them for fireworks?
Only medicine prescribed by your vet. Some human medicines are dangerous for pets, and some older sedatives quieten dogs without reducing fear.
Do anxiety vests work?
Pressure wraps help some dogs feel calmer, though research is limited. They are safe to try if introduced before the night.
Are cats scared of fireworks?
Many are. Cats usually cope by hiding. Keep them indoors, provide hiding places, and don’t try to coax them out.
Written by
Sam writes our breed and behaviour guides. (Demo profile supplied with the Tailwise theme.)
Reviewed by
Tailwise is for general information and is reviewed by veterinary professionals, but it is not a substitute for advice from your own vet, who knows your pet. How we check facts
