We probably didn’t need a study that confirms that cats hate fireworks and thunderstorms, but according to a 2022 study by Wakefield Research, more than 50% of pet parents say both are a leading cause of stress for their pets.
Fireworks are bad for pets, bad for wildlife, and bad for the environment
The findings of this study don’t surprise me. If anything, I think the percentages reported are lower than the actual occurrences. Allegra used to be terrified of fireworks, but as she is getting older, and as we’ve been using various methods to help keep her calm, she’s much better with them. Even Ruby, who was pretty fearless and not afraid of thunderstorms, became unsettled when fireworks started going off in our neighborhood.
I used to enjoy fireworks before I knew just how devastating the effects of them are for wildlife, and for the environment. Why are we celebrating our national holiday with something that harms other living beings? I wish more communities would follow the Italian town Collecchio, which made headlines as the first in the world to implement “silent” fireworks. These silent fireworks aren’t completely noiseless, but make far less noise than traditional fireworks. (Source: The Devastating Effects of Fireworks on Pets and Wildlife.)
In addition to harming animals. fireworks release toxic chemicals and pollute the environment. They start fires, injure and kill people, and trigger PTSD in veterans and refugees.
I don’t have much hope for our culture changing enough to abolish fireworks, so here are some tips to help your cats cope with the noise from fireworks. The same suggestions apply for thunderstorms.
Create a safe space
If there’s a room in your house where outside noise is the least noticeable, designate that as a safe room for your cat during fireworks and storms. Put a comfortable bed, some food or treats, water and maybe a favorite toy in the room. Leave a radio or TV on in the room; this may act as white noise and block out some of the booms.
Closing windows and lowering shades or blinds can also help reduce noise levels.
Play some calming music
Don’t try to drown out the sound of fireworks by blasting the music. Choose soothing classical music, or calming music especially designed for cats.
Remain calm
Our cats pick up on our emotions, and if we’re anxious, they’ll be anxious as well. Even though some experts claim that trying to comfort your cat when she’s scared will reward and reinforce her fear, I adamantly disagree with that advice. It is nonsense to believe that reassuring your cat that everything is fine is going to make her associate fear with being rewarded with your attention. Let your cat be your guide: some cats will do better if you’re right there with them, others will prefer to be left alone in their hiding place.
Calming remedies
Calming remedies such as Jackson Galaxy’s Stress Stopper or Bach® Rescue Remedy® Pet can help keep your cat calm without any side effects. both are liquid remedies made from flower essences. The gentle, healing essences have been used since ancient times to provide vibrational healing for mind, body and spirit for people. I’ve used both remedies for all of my cats, and they work.
Both can be given in your cat’s water, food, with a treat (the creamy squeezable treats are great for this,) or directly into their mouth. It can also be rubbed into their ears. To help your cat cope with fireworks, start administering the remedy a few days before the 4th (or sooner, if your neighborhood is like mine and fireworks start going off at least a week before the holiday.) For thunderstorms, don’t wait until the storm is moving in. If storms are in the forecast, start giving the remedy early in the day.
Medication
If your cat has reacted very badly to fireworks or thunderstorms in the past, you may want to talk to you veterinarian about prescribing anti-anxiety medication.
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Image at top of post via Pixabay, image at center via Depositphotos
I absolutely hate this holiday. As if legal fireworks aren’t bad enough the illegal ones are rampant and out of control now and those are LOUD. My poor dogs and kitties. People are so selfish and uncaring for anything other than themselves. So much suffering for something so ridiculous.
One of my cats is this beautiful feral black cat. We had thunder and…she got into her cat tree and hid till the thunder ended. Poor girl. 🙁
I always dread this time of year because of fireworks. People in my neighborhood are so careless and shoot them off even though it’s illegal to use them in the county. Kiki doesn’t seem to bothered by them, but Lu is terrified by fireworks and storms. I would order more Stress Stopper from Amazon, but they take forever to ship my orders since I don’t have Prime.
You can order from Jackson Galaxy’s website, they usually ship pretty fast: https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/products/stress-stopper?variant=31572448378915