Keep Your Pets Safe
Kent Life|November 2019
With the noisy fireworks season extending ever longer, it’s important to know how to protect and comfort your pets this month
Holly Louise Eells
Keep Your Pets Safe

There is nothing quite like a crisp autumn breeze, beautiful vegetation and warm, cosy evenings. However, autumn also brings a new set of challenges for pet owners, especially when the clocks go back. When temperatures drop, it is our responsibility as owners to keep our pets safe, protected and calm.

“Autumn is one of the most stressful times of the year. Both Halloween and Bonfire Night are hazardous events owners need to be prepared for,” says Hannah Miell, Animal Behaviourist at Blue Cross, which has been helping sick, injured, abandoned and homeless pets since 1897.

“The bangs and flashes of fireworks can be terrifying for your pets. And be careful of decorations as cats and dogs can sometimes end up swallowing them, along with any sweets or chocolates, as these can prove toxic for animals.”

It is important to escape-proof your home, as your cat may panic and try to flee. Close all windows, close their cat flap and take care when entering and exiting your home. Perhaps provide a litter box, even if your cat is not accustomed to using one, so that they do not have to go outside.

So, what should we be doing to keep our canines calm? Tamsin Durston, Canine Behaviour Officer at Dogs Trust Canterbury, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and has rehomed an astonishing 6,857 dogs in that time, has undergone a signification renovation over the last 18 months.

Tamsin explains there are several points you should follow before the fireworks begin. “It is great to provide a safe hiding place for them indoors.

“Close the curtains, switch the lights on and turn up the volume on your TV or radio to drown out the firework noises. Play games and enjoy some reward-based training to keep their mind off the loud noises,” she advises.

This story is from the November 2019 edition of Kent Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2019 edition of Kent Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM KENT LIFEView All
The choice of leaders
Kent Life

The choice of leaders

It’s a small, scenic Kentish market town on the border with Surrey, famous for not one but two great leaders. We take a look around Westerham

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
The eco-warriors
Kent Life

The eco-warriors

Awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2019 in recognition of its research in global nature conservation, the role of Kent-based DICE has never been more relevant

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2020
Kent's most CURIOUS MONUMENTS
Kent Life

Kent's most CURIOUS MONUMENTS

Our county can boast some of the most celebrated and downright unusual protected mouments in the country

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
Ghosts of a river's life
Kent Life

Ghosts of a river's life

Kent Life discovers an an other-worldliness about the marshes, creeks, and saltings of the lower reaches of the river Medway

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
The return of the son
Kent Life

The return of the son

The Unknown Warrior’s journey from the World War One battlefields via Dover to his resting place in Westminster Abbey is 100 years old this month

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
We will remember
Kent Life

We will remember

In a year when we got an inkling of what living through a war means, we remember the 75th anniversary of the end of the Great War

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
Age-old advice
Kent Life

Age-old advice

Just become a grandparent for the first time? Perhaps you need a little guidance, so here are some top tips about how to embrace your new family role

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
10 GOOD REASONS TO VISIT Medway Towns
Kent Life

10 GOOD REASONS TO VISIT Medway Towns

A vast Dockyard, a Napoleonic fort and a JCB diggers theme park - let’s visit Chatham and Medway

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
KENT'S CREEPIEST- GHOST STORIES
Kent Life

KENT'S CREEPIEST- GHOST STORIES

Here are 10 tales to make you shiver as we celebrate All Hallows’ Eve

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2020
Joking apart
Kent Life

Joking apart

From his home in Broadstairs, Royston Robertson comes up with satirical, topical and sometimes just plain silly cartoons

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2020