Get Ready For The Fireworks. How To Keep Your Pets Safe And Happy This 4th Of July

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Dogs and cats can be particularly sensitive to loud noises such as fireworks. Here, a dog watches an Independence Day parade in Takoma Park, Md., in 2013.

Mandel Ngan /AFP via Getty Images

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Mandel Ngan /AFP via Getty Images

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Make sure you have a current picture of your pet on hand. Check that your pet’s ID tags are secure and up to date with your pet’s name and your contact information. If your pet is microchipped, make sure all the information is current.

If a pet does run away, call your local and surrounding county shelter and leave a missing pet report, says Meghan Herron, senior director of behavioral medicine education at the nonprofit Gigi’s shelter for dogs. Post on social media, including local Facebook pages, and don’t underestimate the power of missing pet flyers, she says.

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Fireworks are a staple of the Fourth of July and other holidays, but they can frighten animals and pets. Here, spectators at the World War II Memorial watch Independence Day fireworks in Washington, D.C., in 2020.

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For pets that tend to hide when afraid or nervous, she says, allow them to do so. You can even set up places for them to go where they can feel safe.

«If you have cats who are known to retreat to certain places if they are scared, set them up there with a bed, their food and water, she says. «If you have dogs and they are crate trained, now is a great time to maybe move their crate to a part of the house that is least disruptive by noise.

No matter where your pets go to feel safe in the house, Croney recommends allowing them to come and go from their safe space as they please. Locking them in a single room or small space, she says, can sometimes increase anxiety. In extreme cases, Kratt adds, it can cause them to hurt themselves or damage items trying to escape.

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5. If you’re staying home with your pets, keep calm.

It’s easy to feel the urge to frantically pet or speak to your pets to calm them down when they are anxious, but one of the best ways to relax them when they are nervous is to remain relaxed yourself, Croney says. Worrying about how a pet might react to fireworks can actually affect the pet’s feelings as well.

«Because our pets are so often attuned to our reactions, our anxiety about managing their potential anxieties around the unpredictable noises associated with Fourth of July fireworks can actually exacerbate the stress they might be experiencing, Croney says.

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For pets that respond well to positive interaction when they’re feeling nervous, Herron recommends distracting them with toys or treats. For dogs, she recommends puzzle toys that dispense kibble or treats to keep your canine focused for longer periods of time. Above all, create an environment that’s positive and as close to normal as possible.

«You want to act very normal, and together, and act like this is the best day of your life, Herron says. «And so we get our treats, we play their favorite games, we find their favorite toy, we take it to our [safe space] and we try to have the best time that we can.

Josie Fischels is an intern on NPR’s News Desk.