[Jewel City Joe]

Each night since about the 20th of June someone where I live has been enjoying their arsenal of fireworks. You know those that shriek as they travel into the sky and issue a very loud report, to the multiple reports of strings of fire crackers. In the meanwhile the dogs & cats have been seeking refuge in some of the most unlikely places often giving away their location with whimpering and whining.

Some will growl & bear their teeth if you come near them where they hide. If they are hiding in a place that it doesn't matter, I would just let them ride the storm out until later when all the explosions are gone
and then they come out of hiding and move on.

One neighbor down the street had a big dog tear right thru her screen door to get inside to hide in the corner of her living room. She had never seen the animal before.

But it seems to me that when July 4 falls on a Friday or Monday there are going to be several days of fireworks and frightened animals.

What is your experience with this issue ? Your own pets ? Neighbors wanting to enjoy fireworks ?

I'd like to hear everyone's experiences.

[Parnassia]

All but one of my dogs has hated loud noises such as fireworks. It helps if I am careful not to react to the noise myself and don't model for the dog that the noise is something to fear. Other pets (birds, small furries) usually don't seem to notice unless the racket happens to be right next door. Thankfully, haven't dealt with that yet. Also thankful dogs tend to live in the moment. They don't speculate and worry about the future. When the racket stops so does their anxiety. Until the next time.

I don't really like the noise either but can tolerate it if the people who use them actually confine the nuisance to the obvious holidays. I can anticipate and plan to take myself and dog somewhere quieter where fireworks aren't permitted. The problem is, people who love them never seem to control their urges and restrict them to holidays. They find excuses to "sample" or test fire them off without warning, annoying or terrifying the neighborhood.

People who use fireworks know perfectly well many pets are terrorized by them. Its not some big secret. They simply don't care about anyone other than themselves. Where I tend to live the risk of sparking wildfires is a bigger issue. Too many people are stupid about fire. The hazard from a smoldering projectile lasts long after someone's holiday display ends.

[Normashirley]

<sigh> We live pretty rural on a one lane road but we are still privy to neighbors shooting off fireworks and automatic weapons.

The Catahoula/Pit Bull sits on DH’s lap, all 75# of him, with his nose buried in an armpit. He is also petrified of gun shots and lightening, so no surprise fireworks bother him.

The Rottweiler is, so far, unaffected but she is only four; some dogs get worse as they age.

I have the big tub fans in the barn on timers, for the horses so they can’t hear too much.

Yes, they are also prone to upset. Mostly colic but I personally knew someone who lost his mid-20’s horse to a heart attack brought on his fence neighbors setting off fireworks. He had raised that horse from a weanling so the loss was even more terrible emotionally.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

People who use fireworks know perfectly well many pets are terrorized by them. Its not some big secret. They simply don't care about anyone other than themselves. Where I tend to live the risk of sparking wildfires is a bigger issue. Too many people are stupid about fire. The hazard from a smoldering projectile lasts long after someone's holiday display ends.

I'm a huge pet lover who currently has cats and has had dogs in the past. None of them love(d) fireworks, but they have all survived the Fourth of July so far. Since the commotion of fireworks doesn't seem to permanently damage most animals, it seems to me unreasonable to insinuate that people who celebrate with fireworks only care about themselves, and that we should all refrain because pets don't like them.

I'm sorry to hear about the elderly horse having a heart attack, but mid-20s is pretty aged for a horse. Surely in ~25 years he must have heard loud noises at some point. Maybe he was about to have a heart attack anyway?

Starting wildfires is a completely different and much more severe issue, in my opinion. No one should be shooting off fireworks anywhere near wilderness or brush areas.

[Taffee72]

Last year my cat was reduced to quaking, cowering, low to the ground and hiding under the bed from the incessant fireworks. Sometimes the racket was in the distance and other times, sounded like bombs right over my house. Unfortunately, it was not just on the actual Fourth of July, but many days preceding it as well. Saddens me greatly to think that my girl's last summer on Earth was filled with terror for many days.

[MTSilvertip]

I raise Scotch Collies as a breeder.

I used to live right next to the area where they set off the big displays for town, so the BIG fireworks. My old stud dog isn't gun shy and pays no attention. I did have a couple of 9 month old pups one year, I stayed in the house just because of them. The fireworks started and they came out of the back room. They looked at my stud dog asleep on the floor, they looked at me watching TV, neither of us was excited so they decided it was OK and laid down next to the big dog and took a nap as it sounded like the battle of Bull Run outside my door.

Dogs have very sensitive hearing, but take their cues on how to react from their people. Kind of like kids, if you don't make a big deal out of something, they won't overreact either. But if you make over them, "It's OK sweetie, don't be afraid" then you just reinforce their fears and they decide it IS something to be frightened of.

Don't know about cats, I'm allergic to them so I don't have them.

[Normashirley]

Originally Posted by saibot

I'm sorry to hear about the elderly horse having a heart attack, but mid-20s is pretty aged for a horse. Surely in ~25 years he must have heard loud noises at some point. Maybe he was about to have a heart attack anyway?

I certainly don’t expect people to refrain but I do expect them to be respectful of their surroundings where animals are involved.

Yes the horse had heard fireworks in the past — and a lot of other stuff in this life. He was a retired Montana ranch horse that had moved cattle in the dead of winter, earlier in his life. He was still capable of trail riding some rough trails for a few hours.


The “neighbors” were new and were setting up their big fireworks equipment right next to the fence of this horse. The horse’s owner asked them to please move all that stuff to someplace where it would be less instrusive to his horses (plural).

They refused to comply, the senior horse died, The matter went to court, and the owner of the horse (which was registered and worth quite a bit) won compensation. It wasn’t much but even if it had been, how does one put a dollar number on your best friend that spent its life with you “being one”, moving cattle, and just being a friend in general.

If you’ve never had a horse and truly connected with it, you won’t get that ——-

FWIW, my 27 yr old has been with me since he was 2-1/2. He is still capable of riding out for a half day ride, if I were capable — the operative being it’s me that can’t ride out any more —

The horse I raised from birth until he passed at age 29, did his last weekend ride of 20 rough miles each day, when he was 27 and finished the ride in better condition than some horses half his age. I lost him to cancer.

Yes when anything or anyone “gets up in years”, their vital organs are more likely to give out, given the right circumstances.

Those ignorant people could have easily moved their fireworks setup to another property location, including on the dirt road in front of their house but they didn’t. As a result they were taken to court and at least justice was meted out in favor of that horse’s owner - for which many of us were ecstatic.

[Arya Stark]

It is horrible for my cat. I hate that she has go to through it.

Fireworks should be done in a place that is far from residential areas.

Personally I would like to see a "Hour of silence" to celebrate the 4th.

[Bungalove]

I lived 2 blocks from a Naval base where they shot off 16 inch. guns for over a decade, so my cats are pretty used to loud noises that can shake a house. However, a firework that goes off right on my block can still scare them with its sudden explosive sound. They usually spend the night of July 4th in the bedroom closets.

[Jowel]

My experience with my own, and others' pets that I've heard discuss this, are that fireworks anxiety is very hit or miss between one cat or dog and another.