Keeping pets calm during scary events

TO SAFEGUARD your pets from noisy fireworks this Guy Fawkes, dog and cat owners can opt for a nifty custom-designed shirt which acts as a calming agent, while giving your furry friend the constant feeling of being cuddled.

Recommended by veterinarians and dog trainers around the world, “thundershirts” are slowly gaining popularity locally, too.

Made from a blend of cotton, polyester and spandex, the snug shirt is reported to have had an 80 percent success rate as a calming tool for pets who suffer from various anxieties. These include noise from fireworks and thunder, as well as separation, care or travel anxiety, and fearful reactions towards other animals and people.

South African importer and supplier of educational and safety pet products, Pet Systems, has sold hundreds of the garments, which have been available here for more than a year.

Manager Deon van der Westhuizen said the shirts were completely safe and easy to use.

“It’s really effective and easy to put on and take off. You simply lay the thundershirt on your dog or cat’s back, fasten the hook and loop closures, with no head or leg holes to struggle with. It applies a gentle, constant pressure to the pet’s torso, which feels like they’re constantly being hugged.”

Available in a variety of colours, thundershirts don’t come cheap however, with a recommended retail price tag of R425.

But despite the cost, Van der Westhuizen said shirt sales were increasing. “We’ve got many orders coming from Joburg now with the recent thunderstorms.”

janis.kinnear@inl.co.za

RELAXED: A dog wearing a ‘thundershirt’, which can be used to keep pets calm during thunderstorms and around fireworks.