Fireworks and pets: prepare, protect, and what to do if they bolt

In the days before

Check that your pet's collar tag shows a phone number that works, and log in to the microchip registry to confirm your details. This is the single most useful thing you can do: a found pet with up-to-date ID usually gets home quickly.

Take a few clear, recent photos of your pet, from the front and side, so you have them ready if you need a poster. If your pet gets very anxious about noise, talk to your vet well in advance. They can advise on behavior techniques, calming products or medication, which often need to be started before the night.

On the day

Walk dogs earlier in the day, in daylight, on a leash, even in places where they are usually off-leash. Bring cats indoors from late afternoon, before it gets dark, and keep them in.

Close windows, doors and cat flaps, draw the curtains and check that gates, fences and balconies are secure. Be careful when opening the front door to visitors.

Never take a pet to a fireworks display, and don't leave them alone outside, in a garden or in a car.

Help them feel safe

Set up a den in a quiet room: their bed, blankets over a crate or table, and a few familiar toys. Let them choose where to hide and don't pull them out. Steady background noise, such as music, TV or a fan, helps mask sudden bangs.

Stay calm and behave normally. It's fine to comfort your pet if they come to you. Keep food, water and, for cats, a litter box close to where they hide.

Cats, small pets and outdoor animals

Cats often cope by hiding high up or deep under furniture. Leave them there, keep a litter box and water nearby, and don't try to coax them out until things are quiet again.

Rabbits, guinea pigs and other small pets that live outside are easily frightened too. If you can, bring their hutch into a garage, shed or quiet room for the night, and add extra bedding so they can burrow. If they have to stay outside, partly cover the hutch with a blanket to muffle the noise and flashes, leaving enough gap for fresh air.

If your pet runs away

Start searching straight away, close to home. Frightened cats usually hide nearby: under decks, in sheds, under cars and in bushes. Frightened dogs can run a long way, so get help and search in different directions. Bring a flashlight and treats, and call calmly.

Post your pet in StraySync so people nearby are alerted and new sightings are checked against your photo. Make a poster and put it up the same night or first thing in the morning.

The next morning, call and visit nearby shelters, animal control and vets. Many pets found during fireworks are taken in overnight. Keep checking, because pets can be found days later.

The days after

Fireworks often continue for several nights around a celebration, so keep the same routine until it has really stopped. Check your garden and street for debris before letting pets out, since spent fireworks can be harmful if chewed or swallowed.

If your pet is still hiding, off their food or unusually clingy after a few days, or if their fear seems to get worse each year, talk to your vet. Noise fear can often be eased with gradual training well before the next big night.

If you find a frightened pet

Approach slowly and quietly, and don't chase. If you can safely bring the animal inside or into an enclosed space, give it water and a quiet place to rest. Report it in StraySync so the owner can find it, and ask a vet or shelter to scan for a microchip.