Wednesday, June 27, 2007

How to deal with pets during holidays

We love holidays! Usually holiday is the day we bond with our families and friends but the noise that fireworks brings during holiday frighten pets. My pet dog barks whenever there are fireworks. There are some pets that get aggressive or become traumatized whenever there are loud fireworks near them because most animals are extremely sensitive to noise. Some pets also exhibit the same actions when they are afraid of thunder or lightning storms. Animals can become overloaded when cities shoot off fireworks especially during Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day and New Year. These days can be very hard on pets but don’t worry because here are some tips that you can do to help your pet.

You should create a safe place for the pet and bring outdoor dogs inside. Let your cats to hide under the bed or in closets while the celebration is happening. Always remember not to force your pet to be social when they are in this kind of situation, just allow them to hide.

You should leave your pets alone when they hide in a closet or under the bed. Pets usually do these stuffs when they want to feel safe and secure. Your pet will come to you when they want you to comfort them; this is the right time that you give comfort to them. Don’t go after your pet when they are hiding because they will come out when they are more relaxed and ready to be social.

When they are becoming aggressive or uncontrollable you can consider using non-addictive relaxers. You can consult your veterinarian on what kind of relaxer that you can give to your pet. You can also ask your veterinarian to prescribe tranquilizers when your pet has bad reactions to noise and chaos. You can start giving rescue remedy or tranquilizers to your pet a few hours before the noise is about to start.

You should also limit your pet’s contact to other animals and to children especially when your pet has a tendency to become aggressive at this time. Pets usually exhibit signs of aggression when they are anxious or nervous because of noise and commotion. A normally behave cat or dog may bite or attack a child or other pets when they are in fear due to commotion around them.