Keeping the Fourth stress-free for pets
With theFourth of July midweek this year, your neighbors are likely to pop off fireworks before, during and after the holiday. That can mean a stressful week for people with noise-phobic pets.
Dogs and cats that are afraid of fireworks will express their fear in differentways. Catsmay run and hide under beds or in closets, and not be seen out and about for days. Out of sight means out of mind for most feline pet parents who mistakenly think their cats are fine and just somewhere in the house.
If they are hiding, they are stressed.
Dogs, on the other hand, showstress by panting, pacing, trembling, vocalizing, panicking, destroying things, and even through uncontrolled urinating and defecating. It can be difficult for a dog to settle down once he or she gets worked up.
Several ofmy Fourth of July holidays have been miserable for my dogs. The first incident occurred when a few kids set off fireworks at my front door. My golden retriever had been lying against the front door at the time, and the pop-pop-pop frightened him so badly, he panicked for hours (he had never been afraid of fireworks before then). He never laid at the front door again, and it took two months before he would potty outside without me standing guard.
The second experience was withmy RedHeeler mix, Maggie.
While walking around the block midday on July 4, a car passed us, and a young man leaned out the window and shot a bottle rocket at us. Thankfully, it missed us, but it took months for her to be able to enjoy our dailywalks again.
If your pets panic over fireworks, don’t leave them home alone. For both dogs and cats, create a safe space inside the house with music or white noise that drowns out the fireworks and keeps them calm.
Dogs also can wear Thundershirts or Anxiety Wraps to ease their frayed nerves.
Send questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com.