Whilst I am on blogging “sick leave”, I have invited anyone who fancies it to write a guest blog post. If you’re interested in contributing a self-build, green or cat-related post, please email me! Meantime, many thanks to Amanda Hepburn for this contribution.
I have written for my local Cats Protection for over a year now and in that time, I have heard some pretty awful tales. Each season brings new challenges for the charity and the cats it looks after, and one of the most stressful times of the year is right now in the fireworks season.
Every year, Cats Protection receives numerous reports of lost pets that have been so frightened by fireworks they have run away. Not only that, the sudden, startling sights and sounds of fireworks can distress some cats to such an extent that they develop long-term behavioural problems.
Here are some ways to keep your cat safe and make them feel happier on nights when fireworks are in the air.
- Keep your cat inside after dark
- Provide a litter try inside if they are used to having garden access
- Reduce outside noise by closing your windows and curtains
- Mask the noise with soothing music or put the TV on
- Allow your cat to settle in a cosy, familiar spot
- Give them a toy that will engage their attention and act as a distraction
- Prevent your cat from running away by securing your doors, windows and cat flaps
If your cat does becomes anxious, resist the urge to comfort them as this can make them even more stressed. Let them settle in their chosen place and try to keep things as normal as possible. Your cat needs to feel that you are not worried.
Some of the cats that do run away are lucky enough to be found and looked after by cat charities. Of the cats that are found only a fraction have been microchipped, so no one knows where most of them belong.
A few months ago I posted a poll on www.toluna.com to gauge opinion on the contentious issue of microchipping. I asked: ‘Cat owners – is your cat microchipped?’. Of the 137 people who voted, the results were:
- Yes, 34%
- No – I don’t want to microchip my cat, 26%
- No – it’s too expensive, 17%
- I don’t know what this is, 9%
- I’m planning to get it done, 8%
- No – I don’t know where to get it done, 6%
The microchip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, is injected with sterile water just below your pet’s skin in the area between the shoulder blades. This injection takes seconds and is available from vets as well as some animal shelters. The chip is a passive device, which only transmits to a special hand-held scanner used by vets, animal welfare groups, the police and local authorities only when they need to discover where your cat belongs. All you need to do is remember to register the microchip so that your pet’s details go on to the nationwide database.
