how to keep your cat calm during fireworks (and on halloween)
To keep your cat calm during fireworks, bring them in before dark, close windows and curtains, and give them somewhere quiet to hide. Then let them choose how to cope: don't pull them out of hiding or try to hold them. A little preparation in the days before makes the night itself much easier.
In London, fireworks season isn't one night. It runs from Halloween on 31 October, through Bonfire Night on 5 November and Diwali on 8 November, and back again for New Year's Eve. Here's how to help your cat through all of it.
Why do fireworks frighten cats?
Cats hear far more than we do. According to the RSPCA, cats and dogs have "a greater hearing range and higher sensitivity than humans", and fireworks can reach 120 to 175 decibels.
To a cat, fireworks are loud, sudden, unpredictable and impossible to escape. There's no warning and no pattern, and the flashes and smells add to it. It's no surprise that some cats bolt, hide for hours or stop eating.
I've seen this first-hand. Every cat I've lived with has been terrified of fireworks and spent the night hiding, with one exception: Marge. She was deaf, and for a couple of nights a year, that made her the luckiest cat in London. While everyone else was jumping at every bang, she slept straight through.
In the days before fireworks night
Check the dates. Look up local displays and note the big nights: 31 October (Halloween), 5 November (Bonfire Night), 8 November (Diwali) and 31 December (New Year's Eve). Weekends either side are often busy too.
Make a safe den. Choose a quiet room, ideally away from the street. Add a covered bed, a cardboard box or space under a bed, plus food, water and a litter tray. Let your cat find it before the noise starts.
Try a pheromone diffuser. Plug-in diffusers like Feliway help some cats feel more settled. Cats Protection advises starting "a couple of weeks before 5 November" to get the full benefit, so now is the time.
Check their microchip. If your cat does slip out in a panic, an up-to-date microchip is the best chance of getting them home. Make sure your address and phone number are current.
Shift their routine slightly. If your cat goes out, start bringing them in a little earlier each evening so dusk doesn't come as a surprise.
How to keep your cat calm on fireworks night
Do:
Bring your cat in before dark, and feed them early so they're settled.
Lock the cat flap and close all windows and outside doors.
Draw the curtains to hide the flashes.
Put the TV, radio or some calm music on to soften the bangs.
Leave them to hide if they want to, and check in quietly.
Stay calm and carry on as normal. Cats pick up on our mood.
Don't:
Pull your cat out from a hiding place.
Pick them up or hold them if they're trying to get away.
Fuss over them too much. Cats Protection advises against reinforcing fearful behaviour by constantly soothing an anxious cat.
Open the front door without knowing where your cat is.
Let them out until the fireworks have properly finished, ideally the next morning.
Keeping your cat safe on Halloween
Halloween brings its own kind of chaos: a doorbell that won't stop, strangers in masks, and an open front door every few minutes.
Keep your cat in a separate room while trick-or-treaters are calling, so they can't dash out of the front door.
Leave a bowl of sweets outside, or a "no trick-or-treaters" sign, if the doorbell really upsets them.
Keep sweets out of reach. Chocolate is toxic to cats, and wrappers are a choking risk.
Use LED candles in pumpkins. A curious tail and a real flame don't mix.
Skip the costume. Most cats find being dressed up stressful. A Halloween bandana for a photo, if they'll tolerate it, is plenty.
Keep black cats in. Many rescues advise keeping black cats indoors around Halloween. Whatever the reason, it's a sensible night for any cat to stay home.
Our black cats get enough bad press this time of year. They deserve a quiet night in, not a scare.
Signs your cat is stressed by fireworks
Some cats shrug fireworks off. Others are badly shaken. Look out for:
hiding for long periods, or refusing to come out
trembling, flattened ears or wide pupils
not eating
weeing or pooing outside the litter tray
over-grooming
trying to escape
Most cats are back to normal within a day or so. Talk to your vet if your cat stays withdrawn, stops eating for more than a day, or gets more frightened each year. They can advise on calming products, and in some cases medication or a referral to a behaviourist. It's worth having that conversation well before the big nights, not on them.
What if you're away on fireworks night?
If you can't be home, the most important thing is that someone is, at least around dusk. Ask your sitter to:
visit before dark and make sure your cat is inside
lock the cat flap and check every window is shut
draw the curtains and leave a radio or TV on
leave your cat to hide if they want to, and check they've eaten next visit
This is also a good reason to choose a sitter over a cattery at this time of year. Your cat gets to ride out the noise in their own den, rather than somewhere unfamiliar. (We go into this more in cat sitter vs cattery.)
With nestr, you can add all of this to your visit checklist, and your sitter ticks off each item with a timestamped photo. So on the loudest night of the year, you'll know your cat is in, the flap is locked and the curtains are drawn.
Cats and fireworks: quick answers
Should I comfort my cat during fireworks? Stay close and calm, and let them come to you. A gentle stroke is fine if they want it, but don't hold them or pull them out of hiding.
Can I leave my cat alone during fireworks? If they're safely inside with the windows shut and a place to hide, many cats cope fine alone. It's best if someone is there around dusk to get them in and lock the cat flap.
What time should I bring my cat in on Bonfire Night? Before it gets dark, which is around 4:30pm in London in early November. Earlier is better.
Do calming diffusers work for cats? They help some cats, and they're worth trying. Plug them in a couple of weeks before fireworks season starts.
My cat ran off during fireworks. What should I do? Search nearby at quiet times (cats often hide close to home), check sheds and garages, tell your microchip database and local vets, and post in local community groups.
Marge, the deaf cat