Keep your pets safe on Guy Fawkes with the following safety tips:
1. Stay at home and keep your animals inside with you.
2. Play soothing music or have the TV on loud.
3. Try to maintain a calm and soothing presence as animals pick up on your state of mind.
4. If your animal is extremely panicky with fireworks, ensure you have a sedative or calming tablet that you can give your animal. These are available from most SPCAs and vets.
5. Pheromone diffusers, such as DAP which disperse calming chemicals into the room, can also be used, but generally need to be plugged in in advance. Check with your vet for the most effective way to use.
6. Ensure there are no open windows or doors through which your pet might try and escape.
7. If your pet wants to be in a certain room or under a piece of furniture, leave your pet where he/she is most happiest.
8. Give your pet his/her favourite toy, blanket or a tasty treat to try and distract him/her.
9. Ensure your pet as a collar on with an ID disc on just in case he/she escapes. Micro – chipping as well is an even better option in case the tag comes off.
10. If you can’t be at home with your pets, consider asking a family member or familiar person to pet sit or if you have a very highly strung animal that may try and escape, consider boarding them overnight with a reputable boarding establishment.
11. In case your animal does escape – have a recent photograph available to show around, have the SPCA and local vets’ numbers on hand and phone in a lost report immediately.
