To not get the problem with fireworks and pets

[SoldTheMovieRights]

There's fireworks going off next door but one and I can hear them, but just some small popping noises really and barely audible when we had the telly on earlier.

It's never been loud enough to wake or disturb DC.

However, local Facebook group for my village is full of posts complaining about fireworks and how they are traumatising pets. AIBU to not get it? If they are too quiet to disturb people why are they so bad for dogs (who would all be inside in the evening anyway?)?

Lots of people wanting them banned because of their dogs but I just don't get it, at worst it's a few mins of noise, a few nights a year, is it really that awful?

I have zero skin in the game as could never be bothered to do fireworks myself, but if my neighbours fancy it, crack on, I'll enjoy the show.

It is weird, but clearly does bother some animals. I was over my friend's one bonfire night and what to me were background bangs were constantly setting the dog off. Whereas my cat never seemed to care.

I've read that people acclimatise their pets by showing them low volume YouTube fireworks, especially when young, and working up.

"a few mins of noise, a few nights a year"!!!!!!! I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

They often go on for hours and hours, night after night after night. I've known them last for 6 weeks with only a couple of nights peace.

Also so many of them sound like a bomb going off. Not a "pop" but an explosion. I have heard a bomb going off so I know what it sounds like. The tv at its very loudest won't drown them out

Stop forcing your cats to eat tinned vegan food and they won’t be spitting it out all over the place. It seems you tried, but it didn’t work out? The cats also aren’t going online and purchasing vegan cat biscuits with their online credit card; they have a preference for them because they have no other option. I think pontificating online about the effect of loud fireworks on animals is a tad hypocritical when you consider how you are treating your cats.

I'm not going to respond to you again. I think you've said quite enough. Don't you?

No, I still have more to say.

Fireworks started again here - deep joy. Hope they are vegan ones

Happy new year

It depends on the fireworks, some have a very loud bang, and it depends on the dog. I have 2 dogs. 1 doesn't seem to mind much the other cowers, whimpers and even wees.

Every night bar two for six weeks? Label me astounded.

Not all horses trained by the police successfully become police horses. Not all dogs trained to be police dogs pass the final test. I'm using police as an example here, but you get the gist. Good training doesn't mean good outcome. If an animal is especially sensitive to noise they will always be especially sensitive, how they deal with that feeling of fear is not always changeable even with good training, including animals that have not had bad experiences as you allude to by citing rescues.

Stop strawmanning.

Nobody has said you aren't allowed opinions, rather that some you've expressed are hypocritical. They are. You do need to understand that if you want other people's selfish enjoyment of things to be restricted because of the negative impact, you won't be able to decide that principle only applies where you want it to. Your selfish cat ownership doesn't outrank other people's selfish fireworks or bacon.

Do remember as well that our discussion only started because you responded to me pointing out the undeniable fact that pet cats kill millions of birds a year. For such an animal lover, you don't seem very bothered about that.

Sounds a bit unlikely tbh.

Hmmm, my dog seems to bloody love fireworks. The only barking he does is mithering me to take him out to watch them. Afterwards, he’s happy to come back indoors with a big grin and waggy tail. He’ll also paw my curtains open so he can watch them. I’m not utterly convinced dogs can’t tell they’re for fun.

Our dog isn’t bothered by them, gets up and grumbles a bit then goes back to sleep. He is however bothered by anyone coming with a 15 mile radius of our house so I will be pushing to ban people and vehicles.

Fireworks going off here again. Five hours now and for context. My mum who has lost hearing due to covid and has hearing aids (she wasn't wearing them when they were going off) could hear them earlier on. They were that loud

Completely fine if some pets aren't bothered by them - but some are

Well, all the firework-lighting hooligans should be back to work and school on Monday. Hopefully, that will bring you, your mum and vegan pets some much needed respite until next year.

I think in fact that most birds are killed by other birds.

If a well fed cat manages to catch a bird, it's either old, ill, or the runt of its litter.

And of course, far more birds are killed by human activity than by cats or by other birds!

Well, it starts with DIwali, carries on with Bonfire Night, then there might be a bit of respite, then there were some for Christmas itself and then NYE.

Not every night for six weeks but a lot of nights for about eight weeks. If people could just stick to one night for Diwali and 5th November it would be really helpful.

Anyway hopefully all the incidents this NY, especially the terrible incident in Switzerland will finally lead the powers that be to do something about fireworks. They are anti-social at best and dangerous at worst.

The number of birds killed by other birds or humans is immaterial. That doesn't un-kill any of the ones cats are responsible for. Either wildlife being killed due to the selfish decisions of humans is a problem, in which case pet ownership is a big part of that and is on the hook too, or it isn't in which case leave the fireworks alone.

If only the harm caused by pets was confined to as few days a year as the harm caused by fireworks! Wouldn't that be wonderful.

Bhaha so taking in rescues cats that would be killed is selfish? Yet fireworks that kill not only pets but wildlife is not?
what has the wildlife done to deserve it? Or the farm animals?
how about autistic people that are unable to cope with the noise?
my cats don’t kill anything don’t kill even 1 bird, let alone millions.
Stupid comments. I took mine in as they needed a home as they were unwanted.

Yes. This isnt complex. It's just that a lot of pet owners mistakenly think there's something inherently moral about keeping an animal. Like their pet is somehow more important than all the animals that are sacrificed.

Pet ownership is something that gives pleasure to the people who do it and that also causes some negatives for other humans and animals. Like fireworks. But the people who do both care more about their own enjoyment than they do about the impact their choices have others. Hence pet owners whining about fireworks are laughable hypocrites.

There are also ND people who struggle with pets, especially their increasing presence in public spaces. Why don't you care about them? But this goes to the point, the criticisms made of fireworks apply to pet ownership too.

And speaking of stupid, you'd need absolute shit for brains to think any individual cat kills 1 million birds. I mean, what the fuck?

What an absolute load of bollocks.

Naturally, you haven't managed to explain why.

It’s impossible to argue with stupid.

I don't like dogs or fireworks, they are both annoying and noisy. I don't mind cats.

IMO fireworks should be banned apart from organised displays.

True, but that won't stop me from pointing and laughing at it instead.