Cats and Fireworks: How to Keep Your Cat Calm on Bonfire Night

Most cats cope with fireworks best when they are indoors before dark, with the cat flap locked, the curtains closed, a litter tray inside and a hiding place they can get in and out of on their own. Stay calm, carry on as normal and never pull a frightened cat out of hiding. That gets you through Bonfire Night on Thursday 5 November, Diwali and New Year's Eve. If your cat panics every year, start sound training well before next season and speak to your vet about medication in good time.

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Your checklist for fireworks night

The RSPCA, Cats Protection and the PDSA agree on the basics. Run through this list on Bonfire Night, around Diwali and on New Year's Eve, and on any evening when there is a display nearby.

1. Bring your cat in well before dusk. Most fireworks go off after dark. The PDSA suggests moving dinner a little earlier in the weeks before, so your cat comes home by themselves.
2. Lock the cat flap and close windows and doors. A frightened cat can bolt and get lost or hit by a car. Watch the front door when visitors arrive, as a scared cat can slip out in a second. If you have a microchip cat flap, use its locking mode for the evening.
3. Close the curtains and blinds and leave the lights on. This cuts down the flashes as well as some of the noise.
4. Put a litter tray inside, near the hiding place. The PDSA recommends one tray per cat plus a spare. Add food and fresh water close by.
5. Set up a hiding place, and let your cat choose. Many cats feel safest up high, on a shelf or the top of a wardrobe. Others go under the bed or into a cupboard. Leave those doors open. Do not confine your cat to one room or shut them in a crate.
6. Put the TV or radio on. Background sound masks sudden bangs. Avoid programmes with loud explosions or gunfire.
7. Stay calm and act normally. If your cat comes to you for comfort, stroke them and talk to them gently. If they want to be alone, let them.
8. Do not tempt or pull them out of hiding. The RSPCA is clear on this. Do not pick up or hold a frightened cat either, as it can make the fear worse.
9. Try not to leave your cat alone. If you have to go out, make the hiding place extra cosy and leave the radio on.
10. Check the microchip details. In England every cat must be microchipped and registered by 20 weeks old, indoor cats included, and you must keep your details up to date. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland it is optional, but just as useful if your cat bolts.

What to do now, before the season peaks

• Keep your cat in after dark from now on. Cats Protection calls this a cat curfew. Fireworks around Bonfire Night, Diwali and New Year often go off on several evenings, not only on the main date.
• Check local display dates. Councils and local groups usually publish them, so you know which evenings to plan for.
• Set up the den a few weeks early. Put a covered bed or a box with a blanket somewhere quiet and drop a treat in now and then, so your cat already knows it as a safe spot.
• Consider a pheromone diffuser. Cats Protection and the PDSA suggest plugging one in a couple of weeks before the season, in the room your cat uses most. It helps some cats and makes little difference to others.
• Struggled last year? Call your vet now. If medication is needed, it has to be arranged well in advance.

Signs your cat is scared of fireworks

Some cats hide their fear well. Cats Protection lists these signs:

• hiding or withdrawing
• eating or drinking less than usual
• fearful body language, such as flattened ears, wide pupils and a crouched body
• pacing, circling or restlessness
• startling easily or running away
• toileting indoors, outside the litter tray
• grooming too much

Fireworks can reach between 120 and 175 decibels, according to the RSPCA, and cats hear a wider range of sounds than we do. A cat that seems fine indoors may still be stressed. If your cat starts going outside the tray after the fireworks, our guide on why your cat is pooping outside the litter box explains the causes and fixes.

A safe hiding place for fireworks night

The PDSA suggests a den that feels enclosed: a covered bed, a cardboard box or a table with a blanket draped over it, with cushions, a favourite toy and water nearby. If you put a covered bed up high, make sure it cannot fall. Keep the den open at all times, never shut your cat inside and do not disturb them while they are in it. A cardboard box works perfectly well and costs nothing. If you would like something that stays out all year, a covered cat bed or cat cave is a good choice.

Best covered cat beds on Amazon UK

Pheromone diffuser

The long-term plan: sound training

You cannot get a fearful cat used to fireworks in a few days. The PDSA describes a step-by-step approach that takes several weeks or months, so the best time to start is in spring or summer, long before the next season.

1. Start very quietly. Play a recording of fireworks through a speaker at a very low volume while you go about your day.
2. Watch your cat. If they stare at the speaker, twitch their ears, their pupils widen or they walk away, stop and try again the next day at an even lower volume.
3. If they stay relaxed, play it for a few minutes and turn it off. Repeat at the same volume for a few days before turning it up slightly.
4. Then pair it with treats. Only once your cat ignores loud firework sounds completely, give a treat as soon as the sound starts and stop the sound when the treat is finished.
5. Go slowly. If you see fear again, go back a step. Rushing can make the fear worse.

If it is already November and you have not started, do not push it this year. Focus on the checklist and start after New Year. Your vet can refer you to an accredited clinical animal behaviourist if you need help.

Medication: only from your vet

Never give your cat any medicine that your vet has not prescribed, and never give human medicines. Some are dangerous for cats.

• If calming measures are not enough, your vet may prescribe short-term medication for the fireworks period. The PDSA advises arranging this well in advance.
• Your vet will want to check that your cat is healthy enough. Medication reduces fear but does not remove it, so your cat may still show some stress, and the checklist stays just as important.
• A sedated cat can be wobbly. Keep them indoors and keep an eye on them so they do not fall from a height.
• Calming supplements and herbal products vary in how well they work, according to the PDSA. Check with your vet first, especially if your cat already takes other medicines.

If your cat gets out

• Search close to home straight away. Frightened cats tend to hide nearby, in sheds, garages, under cars and in bushes. Ask neighbours to check their outbuildings.
• Report your cat as missing to their microchip database the same day, and contact local vets and rescue centres in case your cat is handed in and scanned.
• Think about a tracker for next time. A tracker on a breakaway collar can help you find a cat that bolts. Our guide to the best GPS tracker for cats compares GPS, AirTag and subscription costs.
• Consider a microchip cat flap. One with a curfew or locking mode lets your cat in but not out on fireworks nights. See our guide to the best microchip cat flap.

After the fireworks

• Give your cat time. Cats can take a while to calm down. Offer a favourite treat, stay close if they want company and keep to the normal routine.
• Check the garden before letting them out. Clear away firework debris first. A firework that did not go off can still explode.
• Make a note of what happened. How long was your cat scared and what helped? That makes it easier to plan with your vet for next year.

When to call the vet

Contact your vet if:

• your cat stops eating, or eats very little. If they have eaten nothing for 24 hours, ring your vet. Our guide on why your cat is not eating explains why you should not wait longer.
• they keep hiding for days, even once the fireworks have stopped.
• they are injured or limping after bolting or jumping in panic.
• they keep toileting outside the tray or over-grooming after the fireworks season.
• they are still scared despite everything you have tried. Your vet can refer you to a behaviourist.
• they suddenly become fearful of noises that did not bother them before. The PDSA notes that sudden fear can be a sign of pain or illness.
• they panic every year. Book an appointment in late summer or early autumn to plan ahead.

Frequently asked questions

Sources for this guide

• Fireworks (rspca.org.uk)
• Fireworks (cats.org.uk)
• Cats and fireworks (pdsa.org.uk)
• Get your dog cat microchipped (gov.uk)
• Huang et al. 2018, Animals 8(1):5 (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)