New year’s eve is less than a month away and we know your party plans could be in full throttle. But as you prepare to celebrate, some of the activities could be stressful for your fur baby. The loud banging and flashes of light from fireworks could be stressful to your cat, and you need to keep her calm.
If you are wondering, “What can I do since many neighbours and other revellers in your neighbourhood will be on a fireworks spree?” This article is for you.
Read on and learn simple but effective ways to keep your cat calm during New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash
Why your cat needs special care
Your cat’s hearing is more sensitive than you probably thought. Pet owners probably know that cats have a superior auditory system than humans. They can perceive the softest of squeaks and can rotate the outer ears to capture any sounds in their environment. A cat can hear up to 64 kHz sounds – this is 1.6 octaves above humans and 1 octave above dogs. Therefore, what you may consider an okay blast from fireworks could be deafening for your cat. Sudden loud sounds could cause noise trauma and trigger anxiety or other psychological issues that cause behaviour problems.
So, how do you safeguard your cat from the noises?
Be ready for the event and prepare your home
Know the date of the event and mark it on your calendar. New Year’s eve is rather obvious. But other events like the Chinese New Year (1st February 2022) and Diwali (24th October 2022) may not be common knowledge, comments Christmas & holiday expert Deemer Cass.
You could choose to take a hike and enjoy the holidays in a quiet location where fireworks are prohibited. But chances are you want to go to a party.
So, rather than flee to a quiet place, prepare your home by closing all windows, curtains, blinders and any other opening. Now is an excellent time to make your home cat-proof. So, go around and seal any gap, and shut any open windows and doors. It will help to reduce the amount of noise penetrating the house and block the light flashes.
Prepare a haven for your cat
You may be successful in blocking the bright flashes of light. But soundwaves will penetrate your walls and enter your home. Because it is impossible to completely stop the sound waves create a haven for your cat – somewhere she can snuggle and feel safe. Prepare a place for the cat to hide as a way of coping with stress and anxiety. Make it more relaxing by including the cat’s favourite blanket, a calming towel or calming bed. It will make the cat feel much better.
Create a distraction
Distract the cat from the noises in the neighbourhood by playing with her. Pick her favourite toy and let her play with it through the night. Or you can help her play creative games with her.
You could also drown the sudden blasts of fireworks with familiar sounds like music, TV and other noises. But make sure the sounds you create are not loud and traumatizing.
If you can create a distraction or drown the noises from the parties effectively, your cat may not even notice there was a New Year’s Eve party going on.
Give the cat a calming aid
You can help your cat feel calm and relaxed amidst the party noises and blasts from fireworks, and it does not entail getting the cat drunk.
Look for vet-approved calming products that are safe and proven effective. Some products are so effective and will keep your cat calm and composed even amidst a racket.
Many calming products use pheromones. Other products employ safe herbal extracts. Calming aids for cats come in various forms, such as sprays, diffusers, edible treats, wipes, and many more.
Speak to your vet about using a calming aid for your cat before settling on one.
Photo by Jonathan Cooper on Unsplash
Keeping your cat calm – what else can you do?
The steps above will help your cat survive the party night calmly. But there are chances that there will be some hair-raising moments. In such cases, make sure the cat can move around the house without feeling confined. Your effort to keep noises out could leave the cat even more traumatized if she feels boxed in.
Also, remember to update the cat’s ID tag, microchip and to keep yourself calm. Animals can often sense when the owner is anxious and respond by showing signs of stress and anxiety.
A final word
Your cat may never get the hang of the loud blasts of fireworks or any other loud noises. Consider marking this page. You may need to go over these tips again at a later time of the year.
