Fireworks and Pets: How to Prepare Dogs, Cats and Rabbits
This page is not veterinary advice. It brings together what animal welfare charities publish. Whether a calming product or medicine is right for your pet is a question for your vet. Full disclaimer.
Fireworks are not one night. New Year’s Eve, Diwali, Guy Fawkes Night, Independence Day, Canada Day and countless local festivals each bring weeks of bangs. PDSA found that 39% of dog and cat owners say their pet is afraid of fireworks. The RSPCA points out that cats and dogs hear a wider range of sound, and more sensitively, than people do, and that frightened animals can injure themselves or escape. Preparation is what helps most, and it starts before the first rocket. Sources: PDSA, Eight million pets fear fireworks (1 November 2017); RSPCA, How fireworks impact animals.
On this page (7 sections)
Dogs
Before the evening
The RSPCA advises:
- Create a safe space with favourite toys, keep it open at all times, and move your dog there each evening before fireworks usually start.
- Walk your dog in daylight, before the likely firework times.
- Close windows and curtains and block light in the safe space.
- Check your dog is microchipped and the details are up to date, in case it bolts.
- Ask your vet about pheromone diffusers, and whether medication is an option for your dog.
On the night
The RSPCA advises:
- Play music or the TV to soften the bangs.
- Keep the house secure so a frightened dog cannot get out.
- Let your dog pace or hide rather than coaxing it out, and stay nearby and calm.
- Never shout at a frightened dog.
- Do not leave your dog outside or in a car, and do not take it to a display.
Source: RSPCA, Fireworks and pets.
Cats
Before the evening
The RSPCA advises:
- Keep your cat indoors, especially after dark, and block the cat flap.
- Set up a cosy safe space and extra hiding places.
- A pheromone plug-in diffuser can help, ideally started several weeks in advance; ask your vet which to use.
- Check your cat is microchipped.
On the night and after
The RSPCA advises:
- Play music or the TV, close windows and curtains, and keep the house secure.
- Let your cat move around or hide, and do not try to tempt it out.
- Afterwards, offer a favourite treat and attention if your cat seeks it, and keep to the normal routine.
Source: RSPCA, Fireworks and pets.
Rabbits and small pets
The RSPCA advises:
- Bring hutches and cages indoors if you can, away from the bangs.
- If they must stay outside, cover cages with blankets, leaving a gap for air, or turn the cage to face a wall.
- Give extra bedding to burrow into, and keep companions together.
- Afterwards, watch their appetite: stress can make small animals stop eating, and a rabbit that stops eating needs a vet.
Source: RSPCA, Fireworks and pets. More: everything for rabbit owners.
Long term: less fear next year
The RSPCA suggests gradual desensitisation: playing recordings of firework sounds at a very low volume, raising it slowly over weeks, and pairing each bang with a treat, starting well before the season. PDSA recommends the same approach with young pets. If your pet is badly affected, ask your vet about a referral to a clinical animal behaviourist. Sources: RSPCA, Fireworks and pets; PDSA, Eight million pets fear fireworks (1 November 2017).
If your pet gets out
Frightened pets bolt. A current microchip is what gets most lost pets home. If yours is missing, make a poster straight away with the free lost pet poster maker, and contact local vets and rescues. If your pet is hurt, see find an emergency vet.
Where these facts come from
- RSPCA, Fireworks and pets, read 6 November 2026.
- RSPCA, How fireworks impact animals, read 6 November 2026.
- PDSA, Eight million pets fear fireworks (1 November 2017), read 6 November 2026.
Keep reading
Christmas pet safety and the seasonal hazards calendar cover the rest of the winter, and the body language guide explains the signs of a frightened dog or cat.
