Calm in the Eye of the Storm (or Fireworks)

It's that time of the year again, especially in the South where we live. We tend to have daily thunderstorms during the summer afternoon and evenings and it's legal to shoot off fireworks in neighborhoods. Many cats (and dogs) don't react well to the loud noises and seek out hiding places or experience anxiety attacks. We're providing some tips to help your cats survive during this time of the year.

Strategies for Helping Your Cats Remain Calm

ENVIRONMENT

Sometimes, adjusting the environment in your home is enough to calm down a stressed cat, especially during a thunderstorm or fireworks explosion. Cats are more sensitive to noise and can tune into high and low pitch sounds that human cannot hear.

• Provide a Safe Place to Hide. Cats like to feel secure when they feel threatened. Having an easily accessible location in your home will provide comfort for both your cat and you. You know where she is and should the situation present itself, you can easily retrieve her and put her in a place of safety, such as a carrier or a bathroom. It’s important to know their secret hiding places so you can get to them, if needed. If you choose to let your cat’s hiding place be in a carrier, it’s important to acclimate them to the carrier long before a stressful situation. I do not recommend closing your cats up in a bathroom or bedroom unless your cat is already comfortable behind closed doors.

• Keep Cats Inside. There is an alarming trend of 30% more pets becoming lost between July 4th and 6th than any other time of year (PR Newswire, 2015).Unless you live in a rural area, it’s always a good idea to keep your cats indoors. There are too many dangers outdoors, such as cars, wild animals, dogs, and “mean” people. Should you choose to allow your cats outside, you should bring them indoors when there is a threat of a thunderstorm or fireworks in your area.

• “Drown Out” Outside Noises. If you usually leave your windows and doors open, it's important to close them during a thunderstorm or when there are fireworks. Some people recommend playing calm music to help quieten the noise.  There is some great music on Apple Music and You Tube for cats. Consider leaving the television turned on during the day (especially if you will be away). Turn the volume up slightly to normal programming to help drown out some of the outside noise.

SAFETY AND PROTECTION

With the large percentage of pets who become fearful and run away during blasting fireworks or loud thunderclaps, you should plan to protect your cat prior to such events. 

• Identification Collar and Tags. There are a lot of devices and services available now to help you find your cat should be become lost. At a minimum, your cat should have an ID tag attached to her collar with contact information, especially if she has access to the outside world.

• Microchip Identification. One of the most effective products you can use to reunite with your pet should she be lost. Microchips are tiny transponders that communicate your cat’s ID information through radio frequency waves. A study from the American Veterinary Medical Association (2007) found that animal shelters were able to reunite people with their pets if they were microchipped 74.1% of the time. If a pet is taken to a shelter or veterinarian, they use hand scanners to check for the presence of a microchip.

HUMAN BEHAVIOR

If possible, you should try to be home if you know there is the chance of fireworks or a thunderstorm in your area. However, even if you are home, there are some strategies you should use with your cat.

• Remain Calm. Cats have an uncanny ability to sense your emotions and if you are stressed, chances are, they will also be stressed. Do things that help you relax such as watching TV, listening to music, exercising, or reading. If you know you experience stress or panic with loud noises or storms, you should prepare. Your cats need you to be a strong role model for them.

• Play with Your Cat. A tired cat is a more rested and less stressed cat. Pull out those wand toys and catnip toys and play with your cat. The interaction with you may help keep her mind off the noises occurring outside.

• Act Normal. This goes back to remaining calm. Cats hate change. You need to act as normal as possible, so your cat doesn’t pick up on things being different. If you usually sit at the computer or watch TV in the evenings, you should carry on with normal routines.

• Don’t Comfort Your Cat. This recommendation may be totally opposite what your instincts tell you to do. If your cat displays signs of fear or anxiety and you pick them up to try and comfort her, you are reinforcing her behavior to the stimuli. 

• Hire a Pet Sitter. If you must be away during an event that may cause stress, anxiety, or phobic behavior in your cat, consider hiring a qualified and professional pet sitter to stay with her. If your cat is comfortable with your pet sitter, this could be a great option to assist in helping her feel safe and less inclined to exhibit fearful behavior.

Truffle and Brulee relaxing while I perform normal activities

ANTI-ANXIETY PRODUCTS

Sometimes, you need additional help to provide a feeling of security and safety for your cat. These can be in the form of prescription medication, flower essences, pheromone sprays & diffusers, calming supplements, and calming shirts. If you find you need to use any of these products with your cat, a key piece of advice is to use these products during a time when there are no outside stimuli (storms, fireworks, trips to vets). Your cat may need time to adjust to the various products and you don’t want to cause more stress when your cat is fearful of outside noises or situations.

• Medication. Depending on the severity of the behavior, a veterinarian may prescribe anti-anxiety medication for your cat. Many of these medications must be administered daily and in advance of a situation in order to be effective. Cats taking a prescription-calming medication should have yearly blood tests done to determine their kidney and liver levels. Some cats are not good candidates for this type of medication.

• Natural Medications. If you believe your cat needs something to calm her for a short period of time, you may want to consider using a natural flower essence. Flower Essences are water that has been infused with the vibration healing of flowers. Different flowers aid in alleviating unwanted berhaviors, like fear, panic, or aggression (Coryelle Kramer, June 30, 2016). Coryelle explains that possible flower essences that may help are Rescue Remedy for stress, stimulus for known fears like fear of loud noise, or rock rose for panic. The natural calming medications usually last for a few hours to help relax your cat and there are no side effects. Natural calming medications don’t require a prescription from a veterinarian. However, if your cat is currently on medications or has a medical condition, you should consult with your veterinarian prior to giving your cat flower essences.

• Pheromones. Synthetic pheromones mimic your cat’s natural facial pheromones, which helps your cat feel calm and safe when she inhales them. Synthetic pheromones are available in liquid sprays and electric diffusers. Some common brand names for cats are Feliway, Comfort Zone, and bSerene. The spray is recommended for carpeting, bedding, carriers and other surfaces your cat likes to rest. You may need to use additional products such as flower essences or calming treats during a thunderstorm or fireworks.

• Calming Shirts. Thunderworks makes a calming vest for both dogs and cats. The ThunderShirt has a patented design that applies a gentle, constant pressure that has a dramatic calming effect on most cats. The ThunderShirt uses pressure to relieve anxiety in people and animals and is similar to swaddling human infants and the use of gentle pressure and weighted vests to help people with autism. You would definitely need to get your cat accustomed to the ThunderShirt prior to using it in a stressful situation.

• Calming Treats. There are a lot of calming treats/chews on the market. I’ve tried many of them with some success on my cats. I’ve found a lot of these calming treats are a little larger than a normal treat for my cats, so I need to break them into smaller pieces. As with other treatments, you need to try these treats with your cat before they are needed. They are too fearful to try something new and are usually seeking a safe place to hide. During events such as the 4th of July weekend or New Year’s Eve weekend, I’ve learned to give calming treats to my cats about an hour prior to sundown.

What strategies do you use to help keep your cats calm during a storm or a fireworks display?