Dogs often have problems with being afraid of fireworks, and while it doesn't seem to happen to cats very often, it is thought that they can also be afraid of them. Cats often show fear in more delicate ways, like running away or hiding, so their behavior may not be noticed. But cats hide because it's a natural thing for them to do, and letting them hide when they're stressed can help them feel better.
It's not a surprise that animals are scared of fireworks; they can be up to 150 dB loud. These kinds of loud noises can hurt your ears and make you scared. The noise from fireworks doesn't follow a clear pattern either. It comes from an unknown source and comes in short bursts that happen over and over again. Even normal animals can become scared of the sounds because they are so unpredictable. Animals may become more sensitive to the noise if they hear it over and over again. Some animals really are afraid of noise, and their fear doesn't get worse over time because they always react fully to it.
What is a fear of fireworks?
Noise sensitivities are a broad term for problems that happen because of noise. An extreme reaction that doesn't go back to normal or goes down more slowly than a normal response would, but it doesn't get to the level of a fear, is called a sensitivity. People who are sensitive to noise usually react badly to quick, loud noises like thunder, fireworks, gunshots, and so on. Animals that hear these sounds might react with fear or nervousness.
Animals' fear can be hard to judge because it depends on how they hold their bodies. In times of worry, an animal's heart rate will go up, it will cower, and it may even urinate and defecate. But pets may act distant by hiding and being less busy, on the other hand.
Animals have instinctive responses that make them act violently when they see people or other animals coming toward them, even if it's their owner. These responses include running away, hiding, and being more sensitive. Things in an animal's surroundings and its genes affect how likely it is that it will see something as a threat and how it reacts to that threat. Your pet might figure out which sounds mean the scary noise is coming and start to respond to those sounds. This makes them show fear reactions earlier after being exposed to it more than once. When an animal is phobic, its fear reaction gets very strong.
What's the deal with my pet being scared of fireworks?
In many cases, it's normal to feel scared. When pets are scared, they might get mean (fight reaction), run away (flight reaction), stay still (freeze reaction), or do things like jump up, lick, or paw at their owners to make them feel better or get attention. Fear can become self-reinforcing, and instead of teaching your pet that it can handle being scared over and over again, it can become more sensitive to the scary stimulation.
Fear can come from a traumatic event that happened because of the noise, or it can come from less direct associations that are learned, like being scolded when they respond. Continuous, random repetition of sudden loud noises can help the sensitivity grow in some people.
Any scary sounds that the pet hasn't heard before can also make it react badly.
Remember to keep an eye on all animals to see if they react badly to noise, and if they don't get better after a second contact, you should look into it. It's more possible that these will get better if they are treated quickly. Animals may be more likely to become sensitive to noise if they have other behavior problems or illnesses that are caused by stress, since being unwell can make them less able to handle any unpleasant event.
Finally, remember that the way you act can also affect how your pet reacts. It is very important to always stay cool.
How can I help my pet?
In order to help your pet, you should start treatment right away and take steps to stop the situation from getting worse.
Limited scope of the issue
There are some things you can do to help your pet in the short run to keep the problem from getting worse until treatment can be given. During the therapy, you will need to keep up with these habits, and some of them should become normal for you and your pet (for example, not giving them treats when they don't want them to).
Stay away from fireworks
If your pet is scared of flames, you should try to keep them away from them. Being around the thing that makes us scared and not being able to get away can be very upsetting, and the problem is likely to get worse. So, if you know that fireworks are going to go off at a certain time, try to keep your pet inside. If your cat is allowed outside, call him back before the fireworks start.
Do not use punishment or reward that you do not want.
Your pet can also be affected by how you act. If you try to calm or support your pet, you might make it act more scared than it would normally. On the other hand, punishing your pet might make it more scared. Since you've already given your animal a safe place to stay, you should try to ignore him. If it's too hard for you to ignore your scared pet, you can try to keep him busy with something else. Being happy and doing something that your pet is likely to enjoy are both good ideas. Use a happy voice and try to get your pet's attention without talking to him directly. Once he joins you, you can treat him and play games with him to keep him interested. He should choose to join you without you directly telling him to, because that means he has changed how he feels about you.
Cover up the noise
Keep your pet in a room without windows or with curtains and blinds closed while the fireworks are going off. You can try to block out outside noise by playing a lot of background noise at a pretty high volume. However, you should be careful if your pet doesn't like loud noise. For example, instrumental solos and other pieces with slow tempos and simple arrangements can help calm animals.
Offer a safe place to stay
A safe haven is just a place, like a rug or a bed, where your pet can feel safe. Also, you should be glad that it's not a hole where your pet can hide until the scary thing is over. It's more like a spot where your pet chooses to go on its own because it makes him feel good and helps him deal with his fears. Because of this, the safe haven should be a small space where bad things have never happened before. For example, if your pet likes to hide in a certain corner of the room, you can pick that room as the safe haven but put it in a different corner. Before there is a risk time, you will need to have a number of good experiences with the safe haven. If you know for sure that your pet likes sleeping in crates, you can pick out a new bed and put it in the box. If your pet doesn't like being in small spaces, you might want to put a blanket over the box or put it under a table. For cats, you can put the new bed on a higher surface. No matter what, the safe place should be away from windows.
You can teach your pet how to use the safe place once it is ready. To get your pet to go into the safe place at first, you could use toys or treats to bait him. You can also feed your pet here. You can also hide treats and toys in the safe place for your pet to find. This will make him want to go there even when you're not there. You can also give your pet chews or food things to play with when you're not home. You should let your pet relax in the safe haven every time you see him. You can throw treats at him if you want, but you shouldn't touch him directly. As time goes on, you may give these extra prizes less often because the place has become a place to relax. Making sure that possibly bad things never happen in the safe haven is important. For example, if you need to give medication, you should do it somewhere else. Also, if kids or other animals bother your pet, you will need to teach them to stay away from this area or use baby gates or door flaps to keep them away. This is meant to be a place where your pet can be in charge. Putting the safe place in the room with the fewest sounds will also help your pet deal.
Smells and smells
Along with counter-conditioning, pheromone treatment has been shown to help with some behavior problems as part of a program to change behavior. Your vet may tell you to think about this as part of a plan to help your pet deal with its fears.
Foods and vitamins
If you want to help your pet feel more relaxed, you can give them certain animal foods and supplements. The idea behind these goods is that they have chemicals in them that naturally calm pets down. Even though they aren't medicines, you should only use them as directed by your vet. This is especially important if your pet has a medical condition that requires special meals or close monitoring of food intake.
There is no proof that homeopathic medicines can help with problems caused by fireworks, and using them could make it take longer to get better help, so they shouldn't be thought of as safe. If you do decide to give these things to your pet, make sure you always follow your vet's instructions. In fact, these drugs may be very bad for your pet's health if they are not used correctly.
How to solve the problem
The tips above are very helpful to keep the problem from getting worse, but they won't solve it by themselves because your pet will still be scared of flames. Your pet's fear may also make them more likely to have other behavior problems, and the stress can negatively affect their health. So, you will need to do something to get rid of this fear.
Changes in behavior
Desensitization and counter-conditioning is a type of behavior change that is mostly used to treat people who are afraid of fireworks. You can teach your pet to be less scared of sudden loud noises by desensitization. For example, play or the pleasure of eating food are two new feelings that don't go with the fear. This is called counter-conditioning. The main idea is to let your pet hear the noises in a place and volume that don't scare him. At first, the volume can be so low that you can't even hear it. He is then given something for being calm. The noise level is slowly raised until your pet is comfortable with it again. If he gets scared of the noise, it is turned down until he is safe again. It's very important to end each lesson in a positive way and not scare your pet. Changing your pet's behavior can't happen if it's upset, and most of the time, you'll need to give it medicine to calm down in order to help it learn new behaviors. To get good results, training lessons should always be short and happen often.
Along with counter-conditioning, pheromone treatment has been shown to help with some behavior problems as part of a program to change behavior. Your vet may tell you to think about this as part of a plan to help your pet deal with its fears.
Use Background Noise:
Play calming music or white noise to help drown out the sound of fireworks. There are also specially designed calming playlists for pets available online.
Consider Pheromone Products:
Feliway, a synthetic feline facial pheromone spray or diffuser, can help create a sense of calm and security for your cat.
Prescription drugs
For some pets with extreme fears, the only thing that will help right away is giving them calming medicine right before the noise is likely to happen. For these drugs to work best, you should give them to your pet before they get upset, that is, before the scary event happens. You shouldn't worry about giving the medicine when you don't know if the noise will happen or not. It is better for your pet to have taken the medicine on a false alarm than to go through another stressful cycle of events without the medicine. Talk to your doctor about any problems with medications, and only use treatment as directed by them. If your pet is having a certain problem, your vet may want to send you to someone who is an expert in fixing behavior issues for more help.
Not being able to handle noise is not fun for your pet and can be very upsetting for you. Fears often get worse over time and won't go away unless you do something. First, talk to your vet. He or she may be able to send you to an expert for more help.
Choice of your pet
The first thing that can be done to stop behavior issues is selection. Some personality traits are passed down from parent to child, but parents can also affect their children by how they act. If you think your baby is more likely to become afraid of noise than other cats, you should call your vet right away if they show any signs of being afraid of noise.
Exciting things in early life
In the same way that was said, it is important for cats to be exposed to the things that will bother them later on. It is important that these first experiences are good for your pet so that bad experiences in the future don't have as much of an impact on them.
But because of other things that happen at fireworks shows, you shouldn't try to bring your pet with you. The noise could be too loud, and the other things could be too scary for your pet.
Understanding and addressing your cat's fear of fireworks is essential for their well-being. By providing a safe, comforting environment and implementing calming strategies, you can help your feline companion navigate through these potentially distressing events with greater ease and comfort. Remember, patience and empathy are key when helping your cat cope with their fear.
