BONFIRE NIGHT

Hi Folks

Bonfire night is upon us again but whilst you are warming yourself by the bonfire spare a thought for your pets. The continuous loud bangs can be very scary and stressful to all pets. Here are some tips to help keep your pets calm and safe this bonfire night.

* Secure all doors and windows to prevent your pet trying to run away. Close curtains and turn the TV or radio up to drowned out the bangs.

* Ignore your cat or dog if they try to hide. Trying to tempt them out of their hiding spot can cause more stress. Perhaps prepare a den for your pet to hide in.

* Never show anger towards your pet for being frightened or comfort them during this time. Doing either of these things reinforces his/her behaviour. Ignoring your pets is the best way to deal with the situation.

* Make sure your dog/cat has a collar and ID tag and/or is micro chipped in case they manage to get out and run away.

* Exercise your dog during the day so that he is tired and more likely to sleep in the evening.

* Ignore the fireworks yourself or better still, if you know another dog that is not scared of the fireworks, then keeping the two together during the evening may help your dog realise there is no need to be afraid.

* Keep cats in and remember to lock the cat flap.

* Bring any pet Rabbits and Guinea pigs inside as they too can become stressed. If this is not possible then partly cover the hutch with blankets so that one area is well soundproofed. Also provide lots of extra bedding so they have something to burrow into.

* If you’re having your own garden bonfire then try to use lower-noise fireworks. Also, firework debris can cause harm to animals so remember to pick it up once it has cooled down and dispose of it safely.

* Bonfires can be fatal for wild animals such as hedgehogs that climb in them to sleep. Try to build your bonfire as late as possible to reduce the risk. Also, make sure you disturb the bonfires foundations to give wildlife a chance to escape before it is lit.

* Keep bonfires a safe distance away from rabbit / guinea pig hutches and aviaries.

* There are some products on the market such as the DAP and Feliway diffusers, which release a pheromone that can calm nervous dogs and cats. Ask your vet for details.

Have a happy and safe bonfire night.

All really good hints and tips there Karlie, Sam is terrified of fireworks, where as Nancy who is a 'jelly dog' isn't bothered at all. It's Patches and Max's first bonfire night so i expect they'll be fine, living in this house from an early age will have prepared them for it. The guinea pigs will be staying out this year as we are up to 9 a good tip is to pack the top and around their hutches with cardboard before putting a carpet or something similar over this also acts as a black out for the flashes, sound proofing and added insulation especially now the weather has turned quite chilly on an evening, when it goes soggy and you replace it, it can go in your green bin.

Well a golden rule was broken in the Drabble house hold last night, Sam was allowed on the sofa. He was stuck to me like glue and sought refuge on the sofa at the side of me so i let him just this once, Nancy and Max were totally un phased by the fireworks and Patches wasn't bothered either.
i suspect we have another 3 days of it to come as pubs will have spaced them out over the weekend to aim for less competition and better weather.

lol - oh well at least he felt safe. We'll be keeping Coco in as last night she hid in the spare room. Plus she's gone and lost her collar again - 1 a month we are going through lately . Archie on the otherhand doesn't really care about fireworks which is a good thing.

some good tips there ...

most of the buns here dont seem too bothered but i have one new arrival who is very scared by the bangs ...enough to put him off his food

i heard of a bunny today who was due to come into rescue next week who has litteraly died of fright today