Happy 4th July – Fireworks And Fears

Firstly Happy 4th July to all our USA furfriends.

Now as with lots of celebrations there are going to be fireworks. Fun for hoomans, not fun for furries. Whee don’t want to put a downer on the day but whee have quick warning to those with small furries. Whee piggies are very small so any loud sudden noise is terrifying for us. As prey animals whee are very good at hiding fear and stress but sudden things like fireworks can cause us to show the following signs of stress:

• Darting around, running at the walls
• Or freezing and staying completely still
• Wide, wild eyes
• Stiffened body
• Rapid breathing, almost panting
• Hiding in a corner head first. The if-whee-can’t-see-the-scary-thing, it-can’t-see-us mentality!
• Digging at the floor trying to cover ourselves with hay or bedding.

If you see these it’s best not to try to handle us because you could make it worse. Instead, if you are fully prepared you can make sure whee don’t get stressed and scared.

• Hutches/cages should be brought into a quiet room indoors, or into a garage or shed.
• If you cannot bring our hutch inside, you should turn it around so that it faces a wall or fence instead of the open garden. But really this is only if there is absolutely no other choice.
• Provide extra hideys and things to do. Hay stuffed tubes, veggies, herbs and cardboard boxes etc. make good distractions. Extra bedding for burrowing into is furry impawtent too.
• Play some low level soothing music, or louder music to disguise the sounds of the fireworks. In the days leading up to firework night you can play music to get us used to it. Whee almost always have the radio playing or the tv on so whee are comforted by the noises.
• Black out the windows and put the lights on. That way bright flashes won’t frighten us. If you cannot black out the windows it may be worth putting a thick blanket over the cage to block out the worst of it and give a sort of secure feel.

Lots of people think about the effect of fireworks on cats and dogs because the results are far more obvious but please think of your small furries before you leave to watch a display. Whee worry too.

Stay safe furfriends and once again, have a wonderful 4th July!

Nacho

xxxx