How protect your cat from firecrackers and fireworks


More than half of the felines suffer from a phobia of the fireworks and firecrackers that are thrown frequently at Christmas, a fear that generates serious anguish and increases their loss

Did you know that more than half of cats have a very real fear of firecrackers and fireworks? And that two out of ten cats are lost when they try to escape in terror from the noise they produce? Fireworks and firecrackers are a danger for pets : not only do they generate fear and stress, but they can increase behaviour problems in our animals and even cause dangerous losses when they try to flee. Here are five steps to protect your cat from Christmas firecrackers and fireworks : from using cardboard boxes to building a safe haven to using music to calm the cats.

Firecrackers and fireworks, recurring during Christmas celebrations and parties, can pose a serious and very real danger to felines. More than half of the cats experience fear when firecrackers and fires explode in the street. So much so that two out of ten cats could be lost when fireworks light up the sky at Christmas and firecrackers explode. And it is that accidents, stress and health problems also increase for cats with firecrackers and fireworks. But they can be avoided if six steps are taken to protect the feline from that noise this Christmas.


Step 1. Cats safe from fireworks indoors

The first advice to protect our cats from firecrackers and fireworks is to provide them with a quiet, semi-dark and safe stay indoors.

The gloom relaxes the felines. Thick curtains will help protect windows from cats and prevent flashes of fireworks from entering the home and frightening the animal.

Step 2. Reduce the noise of fires and firecrackers for scared cats

Felines are not friends with firecrackers or fireworks. For this reason, it is advisable to reduce the impact from the outside. Tightly closed windows , as well as curtains and blinds, will help reduce noise indoors.

A radio, playing music for cats or a television or computer turned on with videos of birds will also be good allies to camouflage the effect of the external noise inside the house.

Step 3. Safe haven for the scared feline

Having a shelter is one of the ten rules for a cat to be happy at home – and also in the protective ones. They will feel safer if their hiding place or shelter room during noise is familiar. To do this, in addition to keeping this place dark and providing food and drink, it is important to introduce the cat’s favourite bed in it.

These animals need spaces where they can hide and be calm. Plus, building shelters at home is fun, simple, and inexpensive. Some simple ideas for building cat shelters at home? You can put up a tent made of a T-shirt, a tepee with broomsticks, or a hammock with old clothes .

The blankets you normally use, as well as your favourite toys , will also help create a peaceful environment. Also, it is important to remember that frightened cats enjoy a shelter with a roof to hide in.

Step 4. Cardboard boxes for scared cats

Science has solved one of the best kept mysteries: why do cats love cardboard boxes and are fascinated by them? Experts reveal that cardboard boxes provide a warm, as well as very cheap, shelter for felines. But there is more: it turns out that the boxes reduce the stress of cats , enrich their environment, encourage them to play and warm up and improve relationships with other felines with whom they share life, say ethologists. In fact, cats not only love boxes, they also need them.

In this sense, a simple cardboard box, placed on its side, with a blanket inside and even partially covered with a blanket or towel , is a valuable refuge where felines can feel safe during stressful or noisy times such as Christmas. Even so, cardboard boxes are a resource highly appreciated by cats at any time of the year.

Step 5. Synthetic Hormones to Calm Cats

The feline synthetic hormones or pheromones are a help to reduce the fear of a cat fearful or phobic firecrackers. This type of product is on sale in most veterinary clinics and specialist feline stores, but it is advisable to consult your doctor first.

The facial pheromones of cats consist of potent hormones released by these animals to communicate. These hormones are secreted by glands located around your mouth, chin, forehead, and cheeks. And what do they use them for? They serve them to leave their trace in areas of their home, objects and even in the people they want to just by rubbing their face on these surfaces.

The feline hormones dispersed in the environment create familiar smells that are pleasant to them and provide them with security: they allow cats to identify with each other and communicate that they have been there. Feline facial pheromones are signals that indicate familiarity and safety in an environment; they secrete them naturally to give themselves information and feel calm.

Step 6. Close windows and doors of the house

A frightened feline may try to run away from home. This explains why during the festive seasons, with firecrackers and fires, the danger of a cat getting lost grows .

The windows and doors, therefore, must be well closed and the cat’s litter box must be introduced into the shelter, along with the water and its food.


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