Bang! Bang! Hiss! Many cats and dogs react sensitively to the loud fireworks on New Year's Eve. If you don't have the opportunity to travel to a quiet place at the turn of the year, you can still follow a few tips to help your four-legged friend have a relatively relaxed New Year.
Wie Hunde und Katzen Silvester entspannt verbringen
Well-known music and video streaming services offer soundtracks with firework noises that you can play to your cat or dog weeks before New Year's Eve, gradually turning up the volume. This allows you to test how the animal reacts to this type of sound. With the help of this background noise, you can try to "desensitize" your pet.
Outdoor cats should stay at home 1-2 days before New Year's Eve. This will prevent them from being frightened by early firecrackers. This is because many cats, out of fear, look for a hidden hiding place and stay there until the air is "clear" again. To save yourself worry and your cat stress, it is better not to let your cat outside in the days around New Year's.
Dogs can be physically exercised during the day in a quiet area. However, the dog should always be secured with a (drag) lead. Dogs can also be kept busy and mentally exercised at home with tasks such as nose work or by practicing dog tricks.
Keep Calm(in) and carry on ...
On New Year's Eve - depending on your habits - the last walk should be done by 10 p.m. at the latest, but not when it is already banging outside. It is best to keep your dog doubly secured with a collar and harness - never without a lead. Many dogs instinctively flee when they hear loud, surprising noises - and if there's a road on their escape route, this can be dangerous.
The light pulses from fireworks can also frighten pets. This can be remedied by darkening the windows - ideally by closing them completely with shutters. The pet should be offered a dark place to retreat to, for example a cozy transport box that is darkened with a blanket or an open cardboard box that is lined with cozy blankets. The animal should be able to go in and out of this retreat independently.
To give your cat or dog a feeling of security and trust, it is advisable not to leave them alone at home on New Year's Eve. As the owner, you should behave calmly and normally and be there for your pet. However, pets should not be pitied excessively, as petting and verbal pity can actually reinforce the animal's fearful behavior. Instead, it is better to play together or provide relaxation and distraction with a special treat such as a chewy bone.
Calmin is a feed supplement and can be given before the festivities as well as directly on New Year's Eve, as it calms animals and increases their well-being in phases of increased stress levels. The main ingredients are the amino acid L-tryptophan and CBD. As a precursor of the happiness hormone serotonin, L-tryptophan is responsible for regulating appetite and sleep, among other things - it has a mood-enhancing and calming effect. CBD is an extract of cannabinoids that occur naturally in industrial hemp. Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), however, the industrial hemp distillate has no psychoactive effect. Calmin is available at your local veterinary practice.
