My cat and I have just endured 30 minutes of the noisiest fireworks I have heard in a long time. It must have been a firework display at a local club about 500 yards away (as the crow flies). The loudest of the modern fireworks go off like bombs. The windows rattle. I feel I am in a war zone here in Central London. I couldn’t even watch TV. I did this post instead!
Charlie, my cat, is in terror of the window shattering firework bombs that make a dull and shocking sound. He is scuttling around the apartment looking for somewhere to hide. At first he came to me on my bed and cuddled up on my lap.
Then he moved again and again in search of some sort of respite, a hiding place from the scary eardrum busting blasts. He has that look of terror on his face, which I hate to see.
When fireworks are this loud and close by I think the people who put on displays are creating a public nuisance. They are also inadvertently abusing domestic animals. I know the word “abuse” is harsh but if you watch a cat terrorized by fireworks for half an hour I think abuse is about right.
I have come to believe that fireworks are a nuisance and no one who puts on displays seems to have a regard for domestic cats. In places like London where people live close together almost any firework display is going to be close to homes. That means lots of scared cats.
And what of cats that are outside? Are they going to run away or do something silly and dangerous?
My personal view is that there should be some sort of accountability. These people don’t have a regard for others. Perhaps they think that everyone in the area can watch the display for free and aren’t we lucky. A lot of people don’t like fireworks. And all cats hate them. Cat are also confused by the noise. They don’t know what to make of it. I say to him it’s just people being people.
In Britain firework displays take place well before Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) on 5th November. Sometimes you might hear them a fortnight before the 5th November. And regularly from then on.
I know there is probably nothing anyone can do about this perennial problem. I just feel there should be a bit more concern for the animals. I don’t think it is wise to try and pick a cat up under these circumstances. It is best to let him find his safe place and make some comforting sounds and perhaps stroke him until it is over.
I am pleased we think alike on the subject of fireworks. Perhaps fireworks are for the young. If that is the case there should be more respect for the older citizens and their cats 🙂 Charlie is OK now. He came to bed with me – bless him. He snored all night. I’m tired!
Poor Charlie,our old cat Ebony used to be terrified for weeks every year, she had a bed in a kitchen cupboard where she went to feel safe. We live on the edge of a housing estate and for weeks again now fireworks have been banging away further in the estate even though the law says they shouldn’t be set off in public places, but the police have no chance of catching the culprits. It gets worse every year, the fireworks bigger and louder. The 2 cats we have now don’t seem too frightened unless a rocket type comes very close whizz then BANG because they’ve heard them for the 11 years of their lives. Local shops are selling them half price, but even so, they are very expensive. It’s mostly unemployed youths around here who do this. How do they afford them? How do they justify sending money up in smoke paid for by other people working and paying taxes? I worry about outside cats, ferals and also wildlife, birds, hedgehogs, animals in fields etc. Also old people, we have some OAP bungalows not far from us and some of these people lived through WW2 with bombs dropping, it must make their blood run cold to have to endure bangs night after night, sometimes in the daylight too!
I sign every petition going to get fireworks banned but that will never happen as it’s as usual, all about making money for some people who don’t care who suffers through that.
I agree Rudolph. Cats will be accustomed to almost anything, just like people. With fireworks happening once yearly they come as a shock to a cat and a nuisance to some people.
I worry alot about outdoor cats and animals doing silly things out of fear and getting themselves run over for example, or locked inside a garage having run in under a slowly closing door. I agree its terrifying for indoor cats too. This summer we had some serious thunder and the kittens got very scared – but after a few times they started getting used to it. Although initially scared they would then calm down and go look out the window. The same will go for fireworks no doubt. When they get louder and closer the kittens will get scared and then I expect they will slowly get used to it. Now Charlie is much older and I dont know if he grew up with these sounds. I think for an older cat who is not used to it, its a much different experience. Although initially scary as would be for kittens I think an older cat will not get used to it so quickly, if ever. I also personally dont particularly like fireworks because its a form of entertainment that others are forced to experience, in many ways like graffiti is, just involving sound. I have never felt that it is ok for me to enforce my creastivity upon others by force, and I think fireworks are not even very creative in that sense. Talk about cheap thrills that cost alot of money and last a short time. I’m sure people who love fireworks also probably love a rollercoaster ride. These are all the most passive forms of entertainment in that physically they are so crazy you dont need to do anything to experience them. These are not for animals however. We humans have often such dulled senses but animals are still in touch with themselves and nature, and such things are just complete insanity and totally senseless (i.e.: sense impairing) – they leave a damn ringing sound in your ear. I believe Rudolph is in some cases right – younger animals will become used to this and will not even care about the sounds after a few times. But it is quite different for the ones who are not used to it or much older.
According to my experience, cats and dogs get accustomed to noisy fireworks.My locality in Mumbai has one of the highest decibel systems of fireworks during festivals of Deepavali, Dushera and Ganesh Chaturthi, to name the most prominent celebrations.Initially the cats got frightened of the noise and hid in corners of the house but with age seem to have got accustomed to the same. Before cats, my dogs also got accustomed to fireworks.Parakeet mitto has been living in my balcony since the last 20 years, absolutely accustomed to fireworks.Only be sure that your house doors are closed during fireworks celebrations as all animals initially get frightened and run into openings or corners of the b house.In an enclosed flat the pet is safe within the confines of the house but the same may not be true for outdoors cats or pets.
Poor little guy. I’m sorry for him. Thank goodness it is not too frequent.
dw