I love a good firework display. The colours, the bangs and sparkles. I’m not a kill joy, by any means.
There are certain times of the year when you know there are going to be fireworks set off, in your area. Either publicly arranged displays, or privately in people’s gardens. New Year’s Eve being one of those nights.
As a pet owner, with two cats, one of whom is utterly terrified of fireworks to the point where we have to give her medication and shut her away safely in a warm, quiet & dark place if there are too many going off locally to us, we know that around the times when fireworks are happening we need to make sure our pets are safely inside and away from the noise if we can. So on New Year’s Eve, both cats were tucked up safely indoors. There were a lot of fireworks that night, Layla was not a happy camper, but we all survived and actually the local golf club display can be seen from our windows, so we got to be warm, dry AND enjoy them, in between checking on a rather unhappy kitty!
We thought we’d got through the worst, January 1st & 2nd came and went. Then on the 3rd & 4th, we had two nights of lots of fireworks. Cue Layla getting very stressed and miserable and me muttering less than polite things about fireworks, and silly people letting them off. I was very bah humbug about it. Not to mention the children were woken up, several times. These were private fireworks held in people’s gardens. Loud and late at night. We weren’t prepared, thinking, rather stupidly I guess that as New Year has passed, that there would be no more fireworks.
I sometimes wonder if there should be tighter rules around the selling of fireworks. Should people only be allowed to set them off before 10pm? (We had one lot going off at 11:50pm, on the 4th of January. Who knows?
All I know is that Layla is just about back to herself, and I need to restock her kitty Valium supply, for February, when the golf club does it’s Valentines Night firework event! 
I’d love to hear what other people, pet owner or not, think of fireworks and how they affect your area? Are people considerate? If you are a pet owner, how does your pet or pets cope?
I agree that there should be far more restrictions on fireworks. In an ideal world they should only be allowed at publicly organised events but that is not going to happen nor could it be policed to limit private fireworks displays to certain key dates. We do usually let a few off on New Year’s Eve but as Ben used to be scared of them too (and you can’t give him valium!) we pride ourselves on letting off the quietest and most pathetic fireworks possible. Saari is a scaredy-dog but she can cope with that. I am not sure how she’d cope in an area of the UK where they are let off for nights on end.
Thank you for adding this thought-provoking post to #AnimalTales
There should definitely be tighter rules…this neighbourhood is very inconsiderate and I’ve had fireworks from local gardens hit my windows before now.
I believe there should be organised displays only as there’s no denying they’re a brilliant sight…but…enough is enough at times!
Poor cats! I can relate. The night before the New Year just as my daughter had fallen asleep (she’s been struggling to sleep the past nights), some annoyng person probabky got their dates mixed-up and got some fireorks working! And ye, she woke up! And our dog also panicked. ? #animaltales
I agree I think there should be tighter regulations but I don’t know realistically how that would be policed. It’s such a shame for animals, our cat really doesn’t like them and my mums dog gets petrified #animaltales
Poor Cats! Kismet has seemed fairly snaguine so far but the dogs hate Fireworks. We have always used DAP and put them in an internal bathroom to deaden the sound. Chinese New Year last year was awful.
Hi Karen, it terrible to see your pet scared. Our German Shepherd is scared of fireworks, gunshots and thunder. On holidays and celebrations the Greeks love firing guns and lighting fireworks, so we try not to leave her alone (our other dogs aren’t too worried).
I think you’re right there should be a curfew on setting off fireworks (except for New Year). It’s not fair on people or pets if they are being let off at random times.
I think fireworks should be used only for public displays and the local municipality should have times and dates published during that period so people can make plans for their pets rather than random nights of being unsettled. Bob isn’t worried by fireworks, which is a good job in Dubai as they have huge displays and because all the displays are free you rarely have individuals letting fireworks off