Fireworks can be stressful for us and our companion animals, in particular prey species such as rabbits and guinea pigs, so what can we do to support them and help them feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible?
Keep your companion animals in their home
Companion animals will feel most safe in their familiar home environment so it is best to leave them in their enclosure, shed, room or wherever they usually live so they are surrounded by their familiar smells and space as moving them to a new unfamiliar space will be stressful to them.
Add background noise
Turning on the TV, radio or playing music or podcast can be incredibly helpful in reducing the impact of the noise from fireworks. The volume doesn’t need to be particularly loud but adding some noise reduces the sudden bangs as they are not going from silence to a loud noise suddenly. There are radio shows and playlists which have been created for animals to play while there are fireworks but just adding some noise to their environment can reduce the impact that the fireworks have on them. In outside setups you could use a battery operated speaker or radio. If you are adding any device which is plugged in then it’s important to ensure that you keep the wire out of reach of your companion animal.
Covering windows or closing curtains can reduce the flashes from fireworks and can help to reduce some of the noise from them too.
Provide a safe space
Most importantly is providing safe spaces to retreat to such as hides, tunnels, hammocks or big piles of hay. Companion animals who are housed outside could also have some piles of straw or large cardboard boxes filled with straw which will not only give them somewhere safe to hide but also provide warmth during the colder months.
Giving your companion animals plenty of enrichment and scattering food around including including their hides can help to keep them occupied and focused on foraging.
