Take care of your animals during fireworks

Fireworks are used to celebrate various days, however, during these celebrations animals suffer most.

Jaco Pieterse, general manager of Sandton SPCA, provided tips on how to take care of animals during the big bangs on New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Pieterse said many animals find fireworks scary. “It’s estimated that 45 per cent of dogs in the UK show signs of fear when they hear fireworks. It doesn’t have to be that way though, so don’t ignore the problem.

“There are lots of simple things you can do to help your pet deal with fireworks. By preparing in advance before fireworks start, your pet will be better able to cope with the noises.”

Follow these steps to calm dogs during fireworks:

• Walk them during daylight hours to avoid times when fireworks are likely to be set off
• Close the windows and curtains to muffle the sound of fireworks
• Put on some music or television to mask the firework sounds
• Create a quiet space where your dog can feel in control
• Create some hiding places around your home
• A therapy pack is available to teach your dogs to be less scared of loud noises – Sound Therapy 4 Pets.

Follow these steps to calm cats during fireworks:

• Provide hiding places in your home
• Cats can become more stressed if they are outside during fireworks so keep them indoors
• Microchip your cats in case they are startled and escape
• Partly cover outside cages and pens with blankets so an area is soundproofed and hidden, but allows another area for the animals to look out
• Provide bedding which they can burrow in.