How to calm a cat afraid of fireworks? Check out the best tips
It is not uncommon for pets to show anxiety and fear in situations involving loud noises. Especially during some festivities, such as important games, Festa Juninas and New Year's, the sound of fireworks is usually quite annoying. With cats it's no different, and they usually show fear by hiding. So, how to calm a cat afraid of fireworks?
A cat
fearful of loud noises may show anxiety even before thunder strikes, but
rain on the roof of the house, beams of lights or even the drop in air pressure
before a thunderstorm can be enough to arouse fear in felines.
With
the holidays, care needs to be redoubled, with pet fathers and mothers paying
attention to take care of the health of their cats. A frightened cat is
unpredictable and can hurt itself and even others if it tries to run away or
hide during a stressful situation.
To
help take care of your kitty, keeping it calm in loud noise situations, we've
listed some care you can take. Learn all about how to calm a cat with a
fear of fireworks.
Why are cats afraid of fireworks?
When
the sound of fireworks or
lightning explodes in the sky, the noise causes fear in cats for a very simple
reason: their hearing is extremely keen and can reach up to 65,000Hz, while
humans can only hear up to 20,000Hz.
In
practice, this means a huge auditory sensitivity on the part of cats, so loud
noises scare them easily.
Identifying if your cat is afraid of
fireworks
For
most cats, it's easy to tell if they're scared, nervous, or a little
anxious because of loud noises. Excessive meowing, slow walking and
lowered body, ears turned back and the search for hiding places are sure
indications of a state of fear in cats.
This
behavior is part of the instincts of felines, who understand these situations
as a risk to their safety and seek to flee or protect themselves so as not to
be in danger. So while it's important to learn to deal with these
behaviors and keep your cat in good mental health, these behaviors come
naturally to them.
However,
especially in the face of a situation where it is possible to foresee the use
of fireworks, it is your duty to take care that your kitten feels in a
safe and comfortable environment or that you are ready to calm him down.
How to calm a scared cat with
fireworks?
Scared
cat: what to do ? Now that you understand the cause of the problem
and can identify the signs that your cat may present, we list some tips that
can help you calm down a cat with fear of fireworks or prepare the environment
for these difficult times:
•
Do
not let the cat have access to the street or let it be alone. It is
important to prevent the cat from trying to run away when hearing the sound of
fireworks. However, it is worth remembering that it is not recommended to
hold the animal with collars, as it may end up hurting itself.
•
Drowning
out the noise can be an interesting solution, like turning on the television to
distract your kitten. There are even some pet-oriented YouTube channels or
videos that can serve as a comfortable soundtrack for your pet during these
times.
•
Preparing
a corner to keep your cat isolated from noise is also a way of taking care to
keep it quiet. Ideally, it should already be an environment where your cat
usually rests and where he feels safe. This cozy environment can have your
favorite toys, niches, shelves and your bed. In addition, playing with him
while the noises happen is also worth the time of distraction!
•
Using
some natural tranquilizers can help too. For pets that already have a
history of anxiety, tranquilizers work as long as they are discussed and
approved by your pet's veterinarian.
In
addition, there are synthetic pheromones, which can be dispersed in the
environment, helping the stressed and anxious cat. The use of
diffusers can help, as long as they are placed in advance, so that they take
effect and your cat gets used to it. It is worth remembering that this use
is indicated as a complementary part of the other tips and may not work in
isolation.
Training tips for scared cats
A
training technique on how to calm a cat that is afraid of fireworks
or in times of storm is to reproduce similar noises so that it gets used to
using internet videos playing thunder, storm or fireworks, for example.
However,
it is worth mentioning that if the cat already has an aversion to sounds, this
“desensitization” technique may be more difficult. The ideal is to use
this process when the feline is between two and eight weeks old.
The
correct way to conduct this training is to play sounds at a low volume,
increasing throughout the day while playing with the kitty throughout the
process, offering snacks and playing with the pet so that it gets used to the
increased noise.
If
there is any sign of discomfort, don't force your pet! The right thing is
to stop the process. It is worth mentioning that trying to hold the cat on
your lap is not a good idea. This action can further damage your cat's
state of stress, and he may end up attacking you unintentionally. Dealing
with the situation calmly and respecting your cat's space is the best decision!