Fireworks & felines

[givemushypeasachance]

We've already had some fireworks going off for Diwali and just randomly, but I'm thinking this Fri/Sat/Sun are likely to be busy every night. What do you do to help your cats cope with fireworks? My two aren't keen - I try to shut them in for the worst of it, but that relies on them coming in as it's starting to get dark. I shut all the curtains, put a radio on upstairs as well as the TV on downstairs to help muffle some of the screaming rockets and bangs. I try giving them zylkene in their breakfast in the days running up to the worst of it - that's a milk protein based thing that's supposed to help with stressful times but I don't know whether it makes much difference. When it kicks off they tend to hide under the bed until it stops. Any other suggestions?

I'd add Zylkene at night too - used it myself last year & worked well. Feliway may help too. I found talking to mine helped as well.

Definitely do your best to keep them in overnight, maybe don't feed them until early evening then keep them in, or tempt them with Dreamies?

Ha, they're wayward little sods and it's difficult to make them come in if they don't want to be - they get fed dinner from 5/6pm so usually appear around that sort of time but sometimes like last night one only appeared at 9:30pm. I'll put the cat flap on one way from when I get home and try calling for them, fingers crossed they'll think it's safer and quieter in than out. I just worry about them panic running out into the road or something really, prefer they were hiding under the bed.

Supposedly you can't "overdose" on the zylkene so maybe I'll try evening dosing as well as the morning; I buy the dog size capsules and split one between the two in wet food, works out cheaper that way.

To add to my trouble I'm cat sitting for friends this weekend too! Friend's cats aren't too bothered apparently, one is pretty deaf which helps! And they're mostly indoor cats. So just going to shut them in and leave a radio and such on.

I’ve got a pet remedy diffuser for my two. Works better that feliway although it does smell a bit.