.jpg)
On Friday one of the DJ’s for my local radio station mentioned upcoming Fourth of July celebrations, and she warned dog owners about fireworks. She said that she sees more fliers go up for missing dogs on July 5 than just about any other day of the year, all because of the fireworks noise.
It’s something that never occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense. Depending on where you live and how loud noise from fireworks might be in your yard, Independence Day, while fun for us humans, could prove frightening for our pets.
If you keep any pets outside, it might be best to bring them inside on Wednesday night. Cats and especially dogs fleeing the noise from exploding fireworks might escape their enclosures and become lost. I haven’t heard much about cats going missing on the Fourth, but if you’re worried about your cat it’s best to make sure he or she is inside on Wednesday night too.
If you can’t bring your animals inside for whatever reason on Wednesday, you can still take some precautions to keep them calm and reduce the chances of them running away. First, check their enclosures. Make sure everything is in good shape and there’s no chance your pet can get out, even if it’s acting frantic.
Next, if you’re going to be around Wednesday night, spend some time outside with your pets. Soothe them to keep them calm during the loudest part of the fireworks, so that they know there’s nothing to fear.
Of course if you’re bringing some fireworks or even just small things like sparklers into your own yard as part of your Fourth celebrations, exercise caution with those around your pets. When setting anything off make sure that you do so far away from your animals. It might be easy to keep dogs away from fireworks or sparklers, but panicked cats might run in unexpected directions, so be sure you know where your cats are and keep the fireworks far away from them.
Be sure to follow other general safety tips for your pets this Independence Day. Make sure your pets don’t get into food they can’t eat during cookouts, or just that they don’t get too many handouts. Much of the country is experiencing severe heat this week, so protect your pets. Try to keep your pets inside where it’s cooler as much as possible. If you have indoor/outdoor cats, if you’ll be gone during the hottest hours of the day try to bring them inside before you leave.
If you can’t find your cats, or if you must keep your pets outside, make sure they have adequate shade and fresh water. Keep changing the water and refilling it so that it stays fresh and doesn’t evaporate. You can even provide little kiddie pools for your dog to cool down in if you want.
For most of us it’s going to be a hot one tomorrow, so stay safe, be cool, and have a great holiday with the whole family, furry members included.
Related Articles:
It’s High Anxiety Season Again!
*(This image by Nick Coombe is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
