New Year’s Eve brings back the parties and firework celebrations. Some may not celebrate and just have a quiet night in, whilst others host parties… And some have to stay at home because their pets get stressed by visitors, change, or the loud noises around them. So, what can we do to make New Year’s pet friendly – or at least, pet-safe? 

Why do animals struggle at New Year? 

While of course we tend to worry about the obvious suspects (dogs and cats), what about other pets that live outside to like birds, rabbits and guinea pigs? Well, the biggest concern is fireworks. Noisy bright lights in the sky, without prior warning, can affect all animals within the distance of the sound. However, it’s worth being aware that parties – something we social apes love – can be loud too, as well as being distressing for more solitary pets. Fortunately, there are measures we can put in place to ensure they don’t get scared this new year.  

How to keep your dog and cat safe.  

Some dogs and cats aren’t bothered by the loud noises and bright lights whilst others get absolutely terrified, but there are some things you can do at home to help them feel safe and secure.  

Prepare a den 

When cats and dogs don’t feel safe sometimes all they want to do is hide. Try and provide them a safe place that they can go to. I would make this before any of the New Year celebrations start, so you can get them used to going into it. When they do go in, praise them and give them treats so they see this as a positive place. Dens could be something under a table that is covered over or could be a crate which is covered over to feel cosy and safe.  

Play background noise 

Background noise can be radios or televisions. Background noise is a great way to try and block out the loud bangs from outside. It wont completely block out the sound, but it will muffle it.  

Walking 

If you take your dog out in the evening try and walk them earlier in the day when it is light, usually as soon as dark hits then the fireworks can start so walking during the day can help reduce the risk of them being scared when out.  

Stick to routine 

Even though we have said walk dogs earlier in the day, try to stick to routine when it comes to feeding, dogs and cats like routine.  

Keep curtains and blinds shut 

Keep everything shut where possible and put lights on, this will help block out bright firework flashes (and strangers walking past the windows!). 

Use pet pheromones 

Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats are natural pet pheromones that works with the animals own calming mechanism to help to reduce anxiety. A related product, Pet remedy, is a herbals-based calmer that is reported to help with anxiety in a range of species. 

Thundershirts can also help with anxiety 

They wrap around your dog and apply gentle pressure to try and make them feel secure. I’m not sure how well a cat would tolerate this, it could stress them even more, but it would come down to the individual animal. 

If your cat goes outside try and get them indoors before dark 

This will give you enough time to get them inside and settle them. Having a cat outdoors after dark could scare them to run a little further from home.  

Ensure you have plenty of litter trays inside the house.  

In general, during stressful times, you should aim to have 2 litter trays per cat.  

Check your pets’ microchip details 

As some dogs and cats may escape with being scared ensure your microchips are up to date with details. Also ensure your dog or cat has a pet ID tag on, so if they are found then someone can contact you.  

Consider prescription medication 

Often dogs cannot cope at home even though we try and make them feel safe, so we do have the option to resort to prescription medication which helps keep them calm and react less to the noise. If you feel your dog would benefit from this then you would need to speak to your vet about this. There are also products we can provide for cats as well. Always ask the question if the stress is causing issues.  

What to do with your dog and cat if you have a house party?   

Some people celebrate with parties at home. If you do this then the steps above would still apply really. Some pets get stressed with more visitors in the house and loud music, so keep your pets in a secure room away from guests and it also keeps them safe from escaping out of the house.  

What should I do with my outdoor rabbit and guinea pig? 

If you have an outdoor rabbit or guinea pig, then consider moving them inside for the evening if they will tolerate this. Some will obviously get stressed with moving them into a house environment which we don’t want, but at the same time being left outside seeing flashes of light and hearing loud bangs could be even more terrifying.  

I think with rabbits and guinea pigs you must assess each one. If they are happy to come inside then I would certainly do this, if they stress about the change then look at measures you can do outside. Alternately you could move them into a garage or shed and leave a light and radio on for them. The light will stop the flashes of light being so bright and scary and the radio can help block out the sound of bangs. If you can close curtains or place a cover over the hutch this will again block out any flashes of light that may startle them.   

Also ensure your rabbit has a warm place to hide. Rabbits can sense your stress so try and keep everything routine and stress free. The biggest thing is making sure your cage or hutch is secure and shut properly.  

Aviary birds 

If you have an aviary of birds then it would be difficult and quite stressful to being them inside the house, plus you probably wouldn’t have enough room. However, there are still measures you can take in the aviary to try and make them feel a bit safer, and reduce the risk of a dangerous panic. Allow them to have indoor access, provide a light in the enclosure, cover windows as far as possible, and play music to block out the sound of bangs. Birds can get quite startled at night so providing some light and sound can hopefully cause them less stress.  

Conclusion  

Celebrating New Year is a great time of the year to gather with friends and family. We do have to think of our pets though during this time as they do not understand what is going on and it’s just another scary night for them. So, bear them in mind when your making plans and make sure you have a plan to keep them happy and safe during the celebrations!