Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: pappilon on October 04, 2007, 21:17:10 PM
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I have always been concern when fireworks starts! Not only for the poor animals which get hurt out there but also for all the ones at homes or in cares?I ask people often if thier pets are scared or not bothered, ofcourse we all know to keep our cats indoor when the fireworks start, and it seems it has started in our area >:(, but what about if even inside they are terrifyed?? Phoebe is new in my house but i realized she is really scared few months ago when some people in our road was having a party and next i saw her runing down through the child gate narrow bars and going under the stairs hiding i went to her and she was shaking(The gate was to seperate her from boy untill she get used to him,i was told by rescue she doesnt like cats),and tonight when the noise started it really worry me that for next two months she is going to be terrify, right now she is hiding inside my wardrobe :(. I was wondering is the fireworks worse in london than other places and if your babes are scared how do you deal with it? Is there anything i can do to calm her and make it easier for her? I appreciate if anyone has any idea which helps :thanks:
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I have always been concern when fireworks starts! Not only for the poor animals which get hurt out there but also for all the ones at homes or in cares?I ask people often if thier pets are scared or not bothered, ofcourse we all know to keep our cats indoor when the fireworks start, and it seems it has started in our area >:(, but what about if even inside they are terrifyed?? Phoebe is new in my house but i realized she is really scared few months ago when some people in our road was having a party and next i saw her runing down through the child gate narrow bars and going under the stairs hiding i went to her and she was shaking(The gate was to seperate her from boy untill she get used to him,i was told by rescue she doesnt like cats),and tonight when the noise started it really worry me that for next two months she is going to be terrify, right now she is hiding inside my wardrobe :(. I was wondering is the fireworks worse in london than other places and if your babes are scared how do you deal with it? Is there anything i can do to calm her and make it easier for her? I appreciate if anyone has any idea which helps :thanks:
I live on a council estate but supriseingly not that bad for fire works get the odd banger now and again but quiter than where i grew up typicall welsh valleys area. Mary is nervy of any noise even those coming in and out of the main door so god help when if they start :scared:
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animals will respond to fear more if you make a fuss about trying to calm them down. You are rewarding undesirable behaviour. Shadow, when a puppy was terrified of thunder (which in Queensland is a lot louder and more sudden than any sort of fireworks) but he realised that neither I nor the cats were responding with a fear reaction and so he learned it was nothing to be afraid of. If you are concerned about how your cats will react then keep them indoors, away from windows if possible, and make sure you, and your household maintain a calm and peaceful demeanour. They will show a fear reaction but you will only reinforce that fear if you respond to it. Stay calm, talk to them in a calm voice and they will learn there is no reason for fear, as the rest of the household is not afraid.
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My dog used to be really terrified of fireworks. I would just turn the tv up to drown the noise out a bit. There have been quite a few round here already but the cats don't seem to even notice them.
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sorry dont agree with bc on this for cats cos cats and dogs are not the same.
in london it was very noisy from now until new year and kocka was fine except with the foreworks that hissed or very very loud bangs,
we used to draw curtains and put on tv and i would stay with her.
the main thing is to get them indoors when fireworks are going off so that they do not bolt in their fear and maybe get out on the road or lost.
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I have to say my house is very calm, i dont panic or respond with fear but i am concerned when i see her so scared,i went and sat with her on both nights so she knows she is not alone,my other cat boy is sleeping and he is not bothered at all with the noise, but around our area every year is the same its so loud and it goes on for hours and what worries me is if i get home late from work how she is going to react :scared:,i make sure she is indoor for next few months early and i draw the curtains to see if it helps. :thanks:
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As I stay in a Flat next to a busy road, I have never had to worry too much as they dont get outside, but that doesn't
stop the little :censored: putting fireworks off, and it sounds as though it's right outside the window
so depending how bad it is, I'll iether put the tv volume up loud so's it kinda blocks out some of the Bangs
or if it starts to get really BAD I put Music on( even louder ) and go and do some house work
there's ALWAYS plenty of House work to be done round here ;)
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Trouble is, like Gill said, its not just ONE day of the year now is it? starts few weeks before Nov 5th and just seems to go on till Christmas as far as I can make out!
I have to say - none of the persians care two hoots about the noise from fireworks, but my tabby mog George is scared to death, always has been. He crawls around almost on his tummy and is horrible to see him like that - I get so cross, because close neighbours have really loud fireworks - it sounds like World War 3 - and yet they have 2 cats themselves!!
Some people say that Rescue Remedy can work for cats scared of fireworks.
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Persians are 8), . Thats what really upseting ,it seems even neighbours dont care >:( ,we have the same situation here. i have tried rescue remedy , doesnt work for Phoebe or me ;), i remember a friend who used to get treatments for her cat from a homeopath called NELSON, i am going to findout if they have something to help?! :thanks:
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Mine aren't too bad and I do agree with bc to a certain extent - if you respond to a firework (and their reaction) they you are reinforcing the fact that it's something to be afraid of. You can get a cd of firework sounds which is supposed to be very good at desensitising them to firework sounds.
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I loath and detest them,
My cats are all indoors but, as Gillian says, it's not just one or two nights it's virtually two months of it. The boys are pretty good but it really terrorfies Suzie and she's been know to hide under the bed. I put the TV on in the bedroom to mask the noise a bit but it's not just a few pops and bangs it's a war out there with people letting off what sounds like heavy artillery. Last year, on the way to see my mum in her nursing home, I was on the bus and young kids were standing outside a nearby council estate throwing fireworks into the busy main road which runs past it. Fireworks aren't like they used to be when I was a kid, the most exciting thing then was the odd rocket, banger or suchlike but now things (and people) have gone mad and it seems like the average firework is packed with more gunpowder than Guy Fawkes could have ever dreamed about. It now seems a case of "We'll show all around us that we can afford to buy hand-made super fireworks, we've got the biggest bangs and the loudest flashes, let them beat that if they can !!" but they're all trying to out play each other at this game and thus it's sheer hell out there. It's not a simple innocent bit of childhood fun standing around in the garden with a few sparklers and a box of "regular" off-the-shelf fireworks it's a status symbol a case of "Look at us we've got so much money we can afford to watch it go up in smoke and so that nobody can miss it we'll make it VERY loud as well". IMO Fireworks night has gone the way of Christmas, it starts early, goes on for an eternity and for many people is just another excuse to show off and spend obscene amounts of money".
Anyone seen my soapbox, I know I left if somewhere ;D
Regards
Leigh
PS. I'm sick of this Fireworks "Bling" attitude, I can hear people thinking "Now let's see how can we make absolutely sure that the neighbours don't miss our display of pretentious affluence ?, I know we'll not let them off on Fireworks night, we'll wait until 3AM the following Sunday morning and, just in case they miss THAT, we'll still have more munitions stored in our garden shed that the armed forces of a medium-sized Third World Nation so we can do it all again another night!.
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I really think that fireworks are so pointless, they cause so many accidents and trouble (ie: last year a cat got a firework attached to it where I used to live :( )
Fireworks should be left to professional displays and banned from being sold just so kids can throw them at each other and stick them through peoples letterboxes.
Gerti is terrified of the sound and last year she hid in a wardrobe when they started going off and would stay in there for hours if we didnt go and get her out and try to reassure her :(
Hopefully this year wont be too bad where we are living, fingers crossed!
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I completely agree, Dawn. I love professional firework displays and bonfire night itself doesn't seem to bother Josh too much (it's Smokey's first year with us so I'm not sure yet with him...).
Unfortunately I have some Yuppie millionaires living right behind me who seem to have a stupid display everytime someone has a birthday or opens the mail or anything >:(. Thing is, the fireworks are rubbish but very close and very loud and at random times so I don't get chance to put the telly on loud and the big light on in the living room (which is my bonfire-season routine). It's so annoying and there are loads of cats around. The amount of dead fireworks I clear from my garden is silly, I'm glad I have house cats.
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I absolutely hate the lead up to, and the weeks after this horrible night.
The bangers sound like bombs going off and scare me to death.
years ago I had a cat escape on bonfire night and I never saw her ever again.
My dad was a firefighter all his working life and he used to dread this night too, he saw many horrific scenes of injury to young children but on this night he saw more than ever.
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I'm actually pleasantly surprised that they've not started up around here yet. I agree that it would't be so bad if it was just one or 2 nights. But they go on for weeks.
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I'm against fireworks m'self, you might as well take a twenty pound note out of your pocket (not that I can remember what they're like since I got married) and set fire to it for all the use they are.
However, last year the farm across the lane had some last year and Bilbo and Baggins sat at the window fascinated. I could hear the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' from 'em :evillaugh: They weren't remotely disturbed or scared.
This year we're having a bonfire party for the local folk, no fireworks though.
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I will probably be just as scared as Leo ! I hate really loud noises.. fireworks, Large machinery also scare the pants of me..
They always start & finish way before & way after firwrok night aswell.. drives me potty !
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This year we're having a bonfire party for the local folk, no fireworks though.
Good morning Carl,
How's life at the Manour House ?, good to see that the local Squire is upholding the time-honoured tradition of looking after the local folks :) :)
Cheers
Leigh
;D
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Like eeryone has said you just never know when to expect the fireworks to start now and as they were banned in NI for years (sound too much like bombs) they are quite a novelty here yet so people can go bit overboard. Normally for halloween and when I lived in England for Bonfire Night I would have brought the cats in really early. However, last year I got caught out with fireworks going off near me on a night I didn't expect them. I went out looking for the cats as they hadn't appeared yet - they came as usual when I called them and I was very surprised that they did not seem in the least annoyed by them. They curled up inside for a snooze and didn't flinch. It especially surprised me about Bronte as she is petrified of loud noises. Heidi and Huxley are nervous so I need to be extra vigilant with them. Just hoping that Bronte and Dino can be calming influence on them.
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This year we're having a bonfire party for the local folk, no fireworks though.
Good morning Carl,
How's life at the Manour House ?, good to see that the local Squire is upholding the time-honoured tradition of looking after the local folks :) :)
Cheers
Leigh
;D
:rofl: Me? A squire? I'm a serf if ever there was one! We live in a barn on a farm, and do stuff like this with the other people that live in the other little barns because there's a big field out back. I'm knocking up a chilli in a massive pot ;D
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This year we're having a bonfire party for the local folk, no fireworks though.
Good morning Carl,
How's life at the Manour House ?, good to see that the local Squire is upholding the time-honoured tradition of looking after the local folks :) :)
Cheers
Leigh
:rofl: Me? A squire? I'm a serf if ever there was one! We live in a barn on a farm, and do stuff like this with the other people that live in the other little barns because there's a big field out back. I'm knocking up a chilli in a massive pot ;D
Yeah right !!! :) :)
:wow: Nice "Barn" by the way 8) 8)
Cheers
Leigh
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My dog goes psycho round the house like a shivering wreck :(
http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php?topic=4068.0#bot
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I hate them, and fear for cats that have no home or that are thrown out because it is night time. I think they should be banned. Horrid nasty things, if used correctly they can be nice and colourful, but 90% are misused by youths who think its fun to scare animals and people.
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I hate them, and fear for cats that have no home or that are thrown out because it is night time. I think they should be banned. Horrid nasty things, if used correctly they can be nice and colourful, but 90% are misused by youths who think its fun to scare animals and people.
I agree with you %100,they should be banned to public and few nights of the year they choose places like by the thames or ...?and let the profesional use them for public to enjoy. Ok lets say we keep our cats indoor and turn the TV up and draw the curtains but what about the strayes and ferals ?? And the ones in rescues on thier own, who is going to protect them?
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:ooops: Did it again :),my reply is with Gail in quote part!!! :sorry:
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Fortunately our rescue kitties have a radio but I think I'm going to see if I can spend the evening there, at least on bonfire Friday/Saturday. Maybe get a few volunteers to join me. There's a huge field behind so there's bound to be some fireworks near by.
Hang on, take a couple of Thermos' worth of soup or some hot jacket potatoes, a bowl of Chilli, charge volunteers a quid and have a party! Hmmmm.....helping the kitties and raising money, that's got to be worth a shot! ;D
I know it only helps a few but it's all we can do with all the yobs around >:(
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You could try a feliway plug in starting now and add rescue remedy to the water bowls.
For mine i have plenty of hidey boxes, the curtains shut and lights on so they cant see any flashes.
My rabbit loved fireworks and would sit up on his back legs on the highest tunnel in his run and stare all evening :rofl:
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The thing I hate most about fireworks is the kids who set them off in the street and otherwise brandish them about irresponsibly. They're not even supposed to have them, by law. I agree with those that say that privately-owned/used fireworks should be banned, and only organised firework displays permitted.
I am lucky, in that my three are fascinated, and are quite used to fireworks as Bristol has 'official' fireworks displays every week during the summer, and at other events, and we can see them all from my bedroom window. My cats like to sit on the windowsill and watch the pretty sparklies in the sky! However, it must be horrific for the animals who are terrified of them :( and I do worry about cats out and about at this time of year, especially at night. I will be keeping my three in, day and night, for several days over the firework night period. Not that they'll thank me, but hey!
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The feliway plug is in use at all times ,but i dont think it helps when the loudbangs?? Her little face last night :scared: looking at me? And the reall firework hasnt started yet? I am going to try and do what i can, but do you think the ones out there , ever get use to the noise and bangs &lights? I dont think so from my experiance with the feral MRTRAMP,so i am not sure buying CD for them to listen ,helps to get used to the noise?
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I think cats are scared for a reason and that if they are caught outside they will hopefully hide it out and that could save their lives.
I think if you have a cat who is scared they should be comforted and why not. You would protect them from other things and comfort them if they rushed back in scared so why not because of fireworks.
I think the sale of fireworks should be totally banned and they should only be used in controlled displays, by the way I just love big firework displays although I am uncomfortable about the cost, It used to be £1000 a minute :(
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I really think that fireworks are so pointless, they cause so many accidents and trouble (ie: last year a cat got a firework attached to it where I used to live :( )
That is so so sick :censored: poor cat
Fireworks should be left to professional displays and banned from being sold just so kids can throw them at each other and stick them through peoples letterboxes.
I totallt agree too.
Its not even as if they only last untill Xmas. Its New Year too. Then there are weddings, BBQ's in the garden during the daytime even ive seen.. its ludicrous.
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Yes i agree if they manage to hide its great ,but last year there was two incident which they even reported it on news, one was in east london which a cat was thrown in bonfire by some :censored: which RSPCA was called,and the other one was a young cat was badly burned by firework :( , how :sick: is that?? They managed to save the second one..but howmany more that you dont hear about??
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frankly I would rather they did not report things like that as all it does is make more morons go out and try to top the cruelty. Better they prosecute, than report.
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I think the reason they reported is for people to keep thier pets in, sometimes if people think thier pets are not scared of firework then they leave them out, and may be those two were not stray and belonged to someone who was local?? So i think they should inform thepublic and prosecute the :censored:
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In organised displays fireworks can be ok, but I don't think they should be sold to joe public like they are now - 'fireworks' makes them sound pretty harmless but, ultimately, they're explosives and should be regulated as such.
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They have started with fireworks around here tonight :censored: :censored:
I don't mind it on the actual nights november 5th and halloween being noisy etc but the time leading up and after is out of order in my book and I think there should be a law against putting fireworks off unless theres an awareness that theres something going to be on etc so that we with pets can be warned and at least have the chance to put our pets in so they are safe and sound :)
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In london we had a big asian community and the fireworks at this time were theirs.
Come and live near me cos we dont get any not even on the 5th Nov :rofl: :rofl:
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mmmmmmm, can I be provocative here? When I was a child I lived in the country by the side of a river. Every cracker night we would have ourselves and several families there. It was the best night of the year. We would build a huge bonfire on the edge of the bank (terribly un-PC these days) and each family would bring food and crackers and as it got darker we would light the bonfire. Then the grown-ups would range empty beer bottles along the top of the bank and let off the skyrockets. After that, we kids would each be given a selection of crackers in a closeable box. We were allowed to let them off and have a wonderful time doing so. Although one night a boy who shall remain nameless dropped a string of bungers off down my wellington leg, but as we were all dressed in thick woolen sox and sensible clothes it was not a problem (apart from the fright). After we would eat huge quantities of food and Mr Woodward would walk along the top of the bank playing his bagpipes. In the morning my sister and I would go out and collect all the squibs and break them in half and pour the gunpowder into sunshine powdered milk cans and blow them up.
It was great and everyone had a good time and it was a happy, healthy evening's outing for all.
I often hear people on this site complaining about the animals being blamed for human stupidity. The same applies to fireworks. In a good disciplined family environment they are great fun and no-one gets hurt.
I still enjoy buying a small box of crackers for guy fawkes.
PS Our animals were always kept safe inside while this was going on.
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Always said they were boring old farts living down south Gill,you need to move up here where we party 24 7 :evillaugh:
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I think that you have to take your post in context bc and how many years ago are we talking about and it wasnt in the UK was it?
When I was young we had small fireworks in our garden but times have changed and I do not think its acceptable now and also the fireworks that the kids want are not small they want noise, noise and more noise.
Also you didnt have the amount of yobs in the street with nothing better to do than cause trouble.
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like I said, the fireworks are not the problem - it is the people. Although I agree that times have changed... better controls over who gets their hands on them is preferable to a total ban for private use.
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I've also got lots of happy memories from when I was little but the trouble is that the world isn't the same kind of a place anymore - rockets, sparklers and the like just aren't popular any more - people want the air-bombs they buy to be able to drown out a 747!
Also, generally speaking, it now seems to be thought of as ok for parents to allow kids out unsupervised with bangers etc. Why is beyond me.
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yeah, the parents need a good shaking. Back in Tasmania I was a member of the local volunteer fire brigage. We used to hold a community cracker night for the local kids. We built a big bonfire and had the fire trucks around to deal with sparks (remember it is coming on summer over there) and we would invite everyone. We had a special area set aside for the pretty fireworks and another for the big bangs and families were invited to come along. I was on gate duty one cracker night and a car pulled up and about ten kids piled out, each clutching a big plastic bag of crackers and then it became apparent that the adults were about to drive off. I read the riot act to them so they got out and parked the car, but they snuck off later, leaving the kids - I can not imagine what sort of parent would do that!! I was gob-smacked >:(
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I have nothing against firework & bonfire aslongas people are responsible and they dont harm any creatures, big or small ;). sorry Gwen did i use pet toomany times?? ;), i am talking general public ;)
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Bertie is absolutely terrified of fireworks. In the main he's a big brave fierce tiger, but the mere suggestion of a firework results in hours of whimpering under the bed. When he was a kitten we lived in a city centre where we had stupid kids outside the house throwing fireworks at each other - and at our cars and houses - the moment they went on sale. I called the police numerous times and the effect on Bertie was terrible - after a display nearby on New Year's Eve, he came out from under the bed on Jan 2 and stopped shaking on Jan 4. When I bought my current house I actually asked the previous owner if they had a lot of trouble with kids with fireworks - he must have thought I was mad!! But last year was great - we heard nothing until Bonfire Night itself, so Bertie had only one night of torment instead of the weeks he endured in the old flat.
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I hate fireworks (used to use the animals as an excuse to stay in while everyone else went to the displays!!), and they have started round here already - Bella and Tiger just looked towards the window last night when they heard one. One year, my neighbours decided to let off a large amount of them at the end of the street despite the amount of animals that live on the street, Ginger was terrified (I didn't expect it of him, with livig so close to a main road for so long), and i ended up sitting on a cold floor for hours with him, wasn't polite to the neighbours over that!! Last year was odd with not having him hiding behind the sofa, although I think Tiger might have done it instead. Will be interesting to see how the newbies cope.
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Bilbo and Tigger really like fireworks so they loved Leicester as there were fireworks for the end of Ramadan, Diwali, Bonfire Night and New Year and they used to sit watching them out of the windows although they did get frightened when some :censored: let off a few of those huge rockets right outside my flat at 3am last Bonfire Night. I thought a bomb had gone off at first the noise was that loud but I found the remains of the fireworks right outside the front door the next morning.
Miss Boopy has never experienced Bonfire Night before. She did experience some fireworks the other week and was terrified of them but she was outside at the time so hopefully she'll be ok on Bonfire Night as she'll be inside with me. Planning on having the tv up nice and loud and shutting most of the rooms in the house off to minimise noise coming into the house from outside (our hallway is in the middle of the house). No doubt Bilbo will object to being made to stay inside at night for a week but it's not worth the risk of letting him stay out.
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Just a quick tip Bonfire/fireworks nights are an excellent time to play with rustly carrier/paper bags, handles removed of course.
The noise is distracting and if it's a really rustly bag will drown out the fireworks throw a toy in or dangle something over it
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I'm with Des. I hate fireworks. My cats fear them as do wildlife. I have pleaded with a friend, who is responsible, and heavily involved in a scouts bonfire, etc to ensure as far as he can that no wild animals have got into the bonfire stack e.g hedgehogs, etc.
I would ban the individual sale of fireworks but can see a case for properly run community events with qualified pyrotechnicians. These events need to be in the hands of trained people. It stops drunken idiots causing problems, it reduces the risk of injury to animals and children, it stops yobs causing injury. It also means that you are aware when the event is taking place so that you can keep your animals inside.
Unless you have very considerate neighbours who let you know when they are having a firework party it means, for those who let their cats out at night, you have no warning and the season gets longer and longer. Last year 2 cats that i know of were killed in my area by be allowed out and being run over as they both darted in front of cars as they were scared by the ever increasing loudness of the fireworks. Both motorists stopped and tried to locate the owners; both were cat owners and deeply upset. I found one owner.
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That is so sad Pete, RIP little ones.
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I don't know how Mathers and Ronnie will react as they are both rescue cats and we only adopted them last November. :scared:
With previous cats, I've obviously kept them in and turned up the stereo or tv to mask the explosions. Also kept all the lights on and made sure they're occupied by playing with them and feeding them their favourite food. Also, lots of fussing and attention!
Fireworks are a big problem though and as others have pointed out, don't just affect companion animals but also wildlife. :(
Unfortunately, there are too many idiots out there who think it's fun to use fireworks as weapons against animals. >:(
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My cat sits at the door waiting to be let out no matter what, there could be a catherine wheel on the other side of it and he'd still not notice. :Crazy: