Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Firework Safety Tips 4 Pets!

Since the 4th of July is in a couple of days, I thought that I should share some helpful tips with everyone so we can keep pups and kitties sage during this very frightening and dangerous time for many animals. Since animals have very sensitive hearing, they can find the noise from fireworks very scary. I know I sure do. My large corgi ears can detect even the smallest firecracker going off miles away. July 5th is usually the busiest day of the year at animal shelters. Pups have been known to escape from homes, dig under fences, break collars, and even chew through their leashes. Some have been found miles from their homes, confused, scared, and exhausted. Their worried owners flood the local animal shelters with calls and visits hoping to find their beloved missing pet.

So let's keep everyone safe this year with these helpful tips that I found on the Web.

* Make certain your pet has a good strong collar with current license tags, in the event it escapes. Consider having a microchip implanted into your pet for accurate identification.
* Never let off fireworks near animals.
* Keep your pets at home when you go to watch a fireworks display.
* Make sure all pets are comfortable indoors, in a secure area with the curtains closed.
* Leave the television or radio on to camouflage the noise of the fireworks.
* If your pet has displayed extreme sensitivity to fireworks in the past, consider talking with your veterinarian about the availability of a mild sedative to help keep your pet calm.
* If you remain home with your animal don’t reinforce its behavior by offering sympathy, instead divert its attention by playing a game or stroking the animal.
* Leave a scared cat alone. Don’t try to force a cat from its hiding place. The cat will come out when it feels safe.
* Be your pet’s best friend; help them with their fears.

I hope these tips help keep pups and kitties safe and happy during the upcoming noisy holiday.

I'll be barking to you later!

2 comments:

Leah said...

Good ideas Merlin!

I just arrived today at my new family so I'll tell them all about this. (they haven't had a dog for over 5 years so they're a bit rusty!)

Love Charlie. (a very cute black lab pup)

BeadedTail said...

Great tips Merlin! Our dog, Sadie, hates fireworks so we stay home every year with her and do everything on your list!