The Fourth of July – Fireworks and Pets

Independence Day can be a fun time to go and watch incredible fireworks displays, but your pets may enjoy the celebration nearly as much. Animals have more sensitive hearing than humans and that sensitivity makes explosions from fireworks that much worse.

Some pets will also have issues during thunderstorms. I had a dog that greeted us at the door after a thunderstorm had passed. I immediately noticed that he had something hanging around his neck. On closer inspection, I realized that it was a cat door! He had attempted to escape to the garage through the cat door. He failed to escape but destroyed the door in the process and had a fancy new cat door collar. Needless to say, he was not a fan of fireworks either!

It’s not just dogs that can be bothered by fireworks. Cats will often become skittish at the loud sounds. My adult cat who is normally very social will hide under the bed or find a spot in the center of the house in the utility room.

What can you do to help make the Fourth of July a better experience for your pets? First and foremost, make sure that you keep your pets indoors—ideally a couple of days before Independence Day and the day after it. Sometimes pets, particularly dogs, will become so terrified that they might start running away from the loud sounds. If fireworks are going off all around, the dog will keep on running and can end up very far away from home.

Whenever you take your dog out for a walk, make sure that he or she is safely on a leash. This can also prevent any potential mishaps from fireworks.

Once you have your pets safely inside your home, it would be helpful to leave a stereo on or a television on so that some of the explosions do not seem quite as loud. If you can, keep your windows closed to reduce the noise as much as possible.

If you have an unusually nervous pet, you may want to visit with your veterinarian to see what other options there might be. Sometimes anti-anxiety medication can help.

You should make sure that you pets have collars and ID tags or chips. This provides a little additional support if your pet escapes and gets lots and disoriented.

Lastly, you can also suggest alternatives to fireworks for your community (I know that it is easier said than done). Options like laser light shows and drones with lights are a couple of pet-safe options for communities.

Ideally, you have time to enjoy Independence Day and your pets will make it through the celebrations.