General Chat

advertised this week apparently you can buy plug-ins at the vets for soothing cats and dogs during this uproar. Different type for dog or cat. Needs to be in situ a couple of weeks before kickoff.

Motown thats very true but if you have rescues as I have you don't always have the option of calming them from a puppy. My old one is terrified of them and has passed that fear on to the younger one, even tho' I tried to ignore them for the pup.
sadly Mini spent at least year fending for herself on the street and was nearly 3 when we got her so her wariness was already build in.

...As for cats - I have 3, born here and brought up here.
One sits and watches the fireworks; one doesn't take much notice and the third one is petrified! She tries to hide under the stairs, and pulls her fur out.
They're now 4 years old, and over the years the petrified one has slowly got better, mainly by my brushing her when the fireworks start.
However at the begining of the firework 'season' (that lasts from October to January) she is still primaevally scared. As the weeks go on, she slowly calms down.
I'm not prepared to have her, the other two and me breathing in chemicals for 3 months of the year! It's bad enough having to lock the cats in during the evening for this time and them be forced to use a cat litter tray - they really hate it!

Neither am I willing to fork out a fortune to constantly have her sedated.

In 2004 a curfew on fireworks between 11pm and 7am was issued - fat lot of good that was!
Over the years fireworks have got louder - it sometimes sounds like a bombing raid around here - why do they have to be so loud? At times, even the two cats who normally don't mind fireworks get edgy - if enough people are setting them off in their small back gardens at the same time, the bangs vibrate the windows.
Sometimes even I daren't go out.
I live on top of a hill on an estate. Those around me set their fireworks off - and they come down in my garden.
Twice I've had my fish killed by the chemicals coming off the fireworks that landed in my pond. I've now filled in the pond.

Yes, I'm a bloody killjoy - why should I deny people the 'right' to their enjoyment after all - they're only cats, it was only a pond - and why the hell should I have the 'right ' to go into my own garden after 6pm whilst these pople are enjoying themselves.

As for listening to the radio in the evenings......

my cats fine with them, i do keep her in on bonfie night mind x

I wouldn't mind if it was just bonfire night.
I would know when to keep the cats in then.
They go off randomly round here - sometimes the carts are outside, and are too scared to move!
The first ones went off round here, over a week ago.
I know there will be some over the weekend of Halloween, then a week later fireworks night.
Once the fireworks are on sale, people buy them and set them off - hence the 3 month 'season'!

As humans are different so are animals. All our dogs have been rescue. Over past 30 odd years have had 3.
First one - got him 4 mths old,not too bothered - second one got him at eleven months old, hysterical had to be sedated - to prevent damage to himself. Even so just used to tremble from head to toe.

Third got him at 7 weeks. If the one before him was hysterical this one was worse and the same with thunderstorms. Three adults keeping calm, reassuring him - no way - son kept his end of bed on bricks for 6 years so dog could dive in there. He would get in wardrobes, under stairs, try to dig his way out of walls, floors. You name it, we tried it and we used to worn out as well as him. Motowngal - you name it, we tried it, we did not pass on our fear, we did not have any. Monty did not like loud sudden noises, a car backfiring. We even went to a animal behaviourist.

Another money spinner.

Our Round Table firework display is in the park behind my house every year. Thousands of people attend and when the finale comes it is very loud.

My cat, dog & budgie are in the lounge with the telly turned up and no problem. The tortoise has already burrowed in the garden so she will not hear it either.

It is only a problem if you make it one. My singing sends them heading for the hills so a firework display is just a slight irritation!

Love to all who know me. I am still hobbling around with the heel ulcer. Lady of Leisure bored to tears.

Aileen xxx

Easy to say its how you deal with it. I know in general this should be true, but sometimes its not possible. Our jack russell is very nervous by nature, and she will not go outside when fireworks are around. I also know of many others suffering from this problem.
If it was only for a week, it would be acceptable, but months is just not fair.
Would like to see something done regarding time limit on sale of fireworks.
Sue

Aileen, Hope your ulcer heals up soon.

I'm afraid an animal terrified of fireworks isn't a 'problem unless you make it one'.
If there was a huge fireworks display outside my house once or even twice a year - that would be no problem, even with a terrified cat.
It's the never knowing when they're going to go off, and the relentlessness of them around here.

People are letting them off in their back gardens - sometimes less that 10 foot from me - the noise is equivalent to a huge fireworks display, I can assure you. They may only go on for 15 minutes - but the cat is still terrified for the whole evening, and another neigbour's teenage kids may let off a few more bangers in the street.

I'm all for official firework displays - they are safe, experienced people are letting them off. It's the sale of fireworks to numpty teenagers that bothers me.

I have a 2 year old Westie and he is terrified of the loud bangs.
He sits on my lap shaking from head to paw. No amount of reasurrance helps either.

Firework season here is usually from September until after Xmas.


Alyson

I have had dogs all my life and it does depend on the temperament of the dog. I have had dogs at the window with the kids watching the fun and others trembling in a corner with me sitting next to him reassuring him all the time and others who don't care.

The one that trembled was also the one that had been runt of the litter and always looked for reassurance in everything, and even though I never trained him to do this would not eat his dinner unless he was told to do so.