Why are cats and dogs scared of fireworks

Everyone loves fireworks, right? While it’s true that most people get quite excited in the run up to fireworks and bonfire night, our pets are often given quite a fright when fireworks start. After all, we know they’re coming, but our cats and dogs won’t.

According to the RSPCA, 54% of cats and 62% of dogs show signs of distress when they hear fireworks. When fireworks are set off the only thing your cat or dog will register is that something they can’t identify is making a very loud noise.

What makes this situation even more traumatic and stressful is that both cats and dogs hear at much higher frequencies than humans do. This makes them far more sensitive to noise, meaning the bangs from fireworks and other loud sounds are much harsher on their ears, and potentially even painful for them.

There are several ways you can help your pet, and the key is to prepare early. Exposing your pet to a recording of fireworks can help desensitise them. But, it’s highly likely they will still be shocked when the fireworks start going off. On the night, make sure you close your windows, doors and curtains. You can also turn the television volume up a little higher or put on some music or the radio, to help drown out the noise. Check out our step-by-step guide for more detailed tips on how to get your pet firework ready.

We know it can be tough when your beloved cat or dog is clearly scared of loud noises, and the annual fear of fireworks is a common worry for pet owners. Those sudden fireworks sounds are genuinely distressing for many animals, leading to obvious signs of cat and dogs anxiety. While there's no magic wand, remember that preparation, like the tips mentioned earlier, really does help. And crucially, how you react matters – research shows pets often pick up on our stress, so making a conscious effort to remain calm yourself when the firework noises begin can make a big difference to how they cope. Combining practical steps like creating a cosy den with supportive calming products can help your pet stay calm and feel more secure when they're afraid of fireworks. Helping your furry friend feel safer makes the fireworks season much more manageable, and less stressful, for everyone involved.

Using a pheromone calming product can help pets feel reassured during stressful situations. They are ideal for pet owners wanting to calm cats and dogs scared of fireworks.

Pheromones are naturally produced chemical substances that are instantly recognisable between animals of the same species. Certain pheromones trigger specific instinctive responses.

Pheromones linked to calming responses are clinically proven to help reduce stress and anxiety in cats and dogs. By using pheromone technology and synthetic replicas of these pheromones, owners can calm, comfort and reassure their pets.

For cat calming, use Beaphar CatComfort®
There are two pheromones used in the Beaphar CatComfort® range; Feline Facial Pheromone (FFP) and/or the cat Maternal Appeasing Pheromone (MAP).  The range has many product formats including  a cat calming spray, a calming plug-in, and a calming cat spot-on.

For dog calming, use Beaphar CaniComfort®
The Beaphar CaniComfort® range of products contains a synthetic replica of the Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP).  This pheromone calming range consists of a calming spray, calming collars for dogs and puppies, calming spot-on, and a plug-in dog pheromone diffuser.

You can find out more about the Feline Facial Pheromone, cat Maternal Appeasing Pheromone and the Dog Appeasing Pheromone, and how they work in our blogs.

Beaphar StressLess Herbal Calming Range

With a long history of proven results and popularity, herbal calming products are well-known for their calming effects. Beaphar StressLess contains a range of herbal ingredients, such as Valerian and Lavender. These ingredients are well-known for their calming properties and often used in human healthcare to help manage stress and anxiety.

Available in a variety of formats, including a plug-in diffuser, spot-ons, collars, tablets, spray and cat treats, Beaphar StressLess has products suitable for both cats and dogs, making it a great choice for owners of multi-pet households.

You can use any calming product to help support your cat or dog during fireworks  depending on what will work best for you and your pet. For fireworks and bonfire night, we recommend using a calming diffuser in your home in combination with a calming spot-on applied to your pet.

With fireworks often being unpredictable, and events taking place over a period of  several days, a calming diffuser is a good option because it is long-lasting and provides continuous calming support. You can plug it in the room where your pet spends most of their time a week or so before Bonfire Night and it creates a calm environment for pets with one refill lasting up to one month, providing your cat or dog with long-term reassurance throughout firework season and the rest of the year.

Calming spot-ons create a calming effect that travels with your pet wherever they go. This is ideal for fireworks season, as it means if your cat or dog goes and hides in a room in the house without the diffuser they will still experience a continuous calming effect. Each Beaphar Calming Spot-Ons is effective for up to one week. Beaphar CatComfort® and CaniComfort® Calming Spot-Ons begin working after 15 minutes and Beaphar StressLess Herbal Calming Spot-Ons begin calming within 1 hour, making these spot-ons an ideal solution should your pet need fast-acting calming support.

Whether you choose the pheromone-based Beaphar CatComfort® and CaniComfort® Range or the more natural Beaphar StressLess Herbal Calming Range, Beaphar gives you trusted solutions to help your pets feel calm during fireworks. Many owners even choose to combine products for extra reassurance.

Beaphar Calming Solutions at a Glance