Every year dog and cat owners ask themselves the same question: How do I get my pet calmly through New Year’s Eve? While people look forward to the colorful firecrackers on New Year’s Eve weeks in advance, dogs and cats already suffer from the first fireworks at Christmas. For them, New Year’s Eve is primarily associated with stress and danger. The reason for this is the four-legged friends’ fine hearing. The noise, which is already emanating from fireworks, therefore puts them in sheer panic. In addition, cuts or burns can quickly occur on New Year’s Eve. Can dog or cat owners leave their animals alone on a day like this? How to celebrate a hazard-free New Year’s Eve with a cat or New Year’s Eve with a dog:
Pets as house keepers on New Year’s Eve?
When dogs hear New Year’s Eve boobs, they usually start to tremble and have a racing heart. They can often go into shock, even on tranquilizers. You shouldn’t leave dogs and cats alone at home on New Year’s Eve. On the contrary: As the owner, you have to ensure that your four-legged friends feel safe and protected despite the deafening noise. Some of their fear will be taken away from your pet when you are around as a trusted person. After all, unknown situations and fear are not a good combination for humans either.
Make arrangements for New Year’s Eve with a cat or dog
Many dog and cat owners already dread New Year’s Eve. The pet cannot be completely protected from the noise, the party invitations flutter into the house and the dog almost stormed it last year. So what to do
Familiarize the pet with the environment
If you plan to celebrate in a strange place, for example with friends, it can help to familiarize the dog with the area before the 31st. Describe the situation to your boyfriend / girlfriend and have yourself and your dog or cat invited to the location beforehand. It’s best to play a fun game with your pet and reward your dog or cat with new treats. So the cat already associates the place with something positive and New Year’s Eve with a cat will be relaxed for you too.
If nothing helps: sedatives for cats / dogs
If you have already experienced various horror scenarios with a cat or dog on New Year’s Eve, there is still the option of consulting your vet. Pets that struggle with anxiety attacks each year may have their doctor prescribed special sedatives for cats and dogs. Most often, doctors recommend homeopathic remedies made from Bach flowers. Even so, you shouldn’t give anything to your pet without consulting a doctor. Homeopathic remedies can also be dangerous if taken incorrectly. It is also important that you take the tranquilizers early on. Dogs and cats usually have to start taking them a week before the New Year.
In general, however, you should only resort to medicine if your New Year’s Eve with a dog or cat turns out to be almost impossible because your pet is suffering from massive anxiety attacks.
Workout and earmuffs
Dogs and cats are introduced to the sounds of fireworks on special therapy CDs. This allows the anxious pets to get used to the loud noises in advance. You can also purchase hearing protection or silicone earplugs especially for pets. These are designed to serve as noise protection on New Year’s Eve. If you choose this variant, you must definitely get the animals used to it beforehand. Otherwise the headphones can make your cat or dog even more nervous. This is not right for every animal.
The day before New Year’s Eve with a cat or dog
On the days before the big fireworks, many people set off the first test fireworks. Therefore, in the week before New Year’s Eve, you should only walk your dog on a leash if possible. If you have a free-moving cat, it is helpful to bring it back into the house a few days before the big evening.
In addition to loud fireworks, New Year’s Eve harbors other dangers for cats and dogs. At New Year’s Eve with a dog or cat, sparklers can also quickly lead to panic or anxiety attacks. Test beforehand how your pet reacts to the flickering candles. If it is frightened, sparklers must be lit on New Year’s Eve outside of the animal’s point of view. You should also be careful when pouring lead, because lead is highly toxic to animals. So keep your dog on a leash or just think about another New Year’s Eve game
Party on New Year’s Eve with dog and cat
In the evening itself, there are several things that you as a pet owner should consider:
Stay in the house
Your cat or dog should stay indoors all evening. Outside there is a risk of burns from the fireworks and, moreover, the boellerkrach is much louder than from the protective house. In addition, you may no longer be able to take care of your pet properly with beer and champagne. Even on a leash it can quickly become dangerous. The dog could tear itself away from fear and run away. Especially when there are many people around you, this can lead to great stress and panic.
To muffle the noises, you should close the windows and doors. As an extra precaution, equip your dog or cat with a collar with an address and phone number. If something goes wrong, the little rascal will quickly find his way home.
Leash
Even in the house, the noises can usually be heard very loudly. If your dog is very scared, you should keep him on a leash through the evening. This is really helpful in the hustle and bustle of parties. In order for your dog not to be scared, it needs to feel safe. Therefore, create a relaxed and quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of the party, even if you are partying with friends. Here you can bring your food bowl and your favorite toys to make the animal feel at home. Of course, the effort you have to put in varies from dog to dog. Some four-legged friends can quickly get used to strangers and are hardly sensitive to noise, while others only react very sensitively to new smells. For that matter, you know your dog best. You know,
deflection
Once the cat panics, it becomes difficult to calm it down. Early distraction is the best tool here. Even before the fireworks start, you should find something to do for your dog or cat. The usual game rituals are particularly suitable for this. In addition to all the unfamiliar impressions, this is something that the animal already knows. This normalcy calms most pets. Strong concentration is particularly effective against fear in animals. With search games or chewing material, you can successfully distract your four-legged friends from the noise of the firecrackers. Of course, there is also a treat for the concentrated animals as a reward.
Quiet counter noises
If you turn on music or TV quietly, it will distract your cat or dog from the clamor of the fireworks. But it is often difficult to drown out the fireworks noises completely. Of course, you shouldn’t turn the boxes all the way up and scare the pet off with your own noise. However, this cannot happen to the dogs: They are not afraid of their own noise. Therefore it can also help to play a very loud game. In addition to its own barking, the dog may not hear one or the other bang.
Radiate calm
As the owner, you are the caregiver of your pet. That means, he also pays attention to your mood and even orientates himself on it. If you are nervous or tense about New Year’s Eve, this can quickly spread to your cat or dog. So don’t worry too much about your New Year’s Eve with your dog or cat, but instead radiate calm. In this way you can contribute to making it a complete success.
Older dog as a role model
Not only can you be a role model for your pet, but also another dog. The presence of an older, confident dog can have a calming effect on your own four-legged friend. If the strange dog stays relaxed during the fireworks, your dog understands that the noises pose no danger to him. It is also possible that he is so busy with his conspecific that the firecrackers do not interest him at all.
Consoling or not?
Despite all good precautions, dogs and cats can have panic attacks. Often one then hears that one should not turn to the animal and comfort it. However, dog trainers like Janna Krebs explain that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The owner usually knows his beloved pet best and knows whether it needs proximity or distance. So just trust your gut feeling. If your cat or dog doesn’t need to be close, you can’t force anything. Every animal reacts differently to fear. Some want to be very close to the owner and be cuddled, some prefer to retire under the closet alone. So if your animal is hiding, you shouldn’t lure it out. You then need privacy and time for yourself.
When it comes to injuries
The risk of injury to animals is very high on New Year’s Eve. If you were inattentive for just a short moment, the cat cut itself on the glass or the dog got a small bang. In the event of an injury that goes under the fur, a veterinarian should be contacted immediately. In the case of burns, first aid can be given in the form of marigold ointment. However, cuts are particularly dangerous. Especially when they cut deep into the meat. The wound must be bandaged immediately. So first of all the blood can be stopped. Make the knot just above the incision. After an hour, loosen the bandage to see if there is still any bleeding. Here, too, it is important to see a doctor as quickly as possible.
In order to protect the animals, there should be no gunfire here
Fireworks should be completely avoided on farms and in the forest. There are far too many animals here to panic and fear. If you see someone bawling there, kindly instruct them to stop to protect the animals.
