Keeping Your Pet Safe for the New Year

Updated: July 12, 2022

2018 has been an incredible year for all of us and we certainly can't wait to end it and begin another year with a BANG! But as much as we want to, our furry family members hope you won't. Loud noises coming from fireworks and loud party music are more than enough to scare your pets away!

It is best to understand what your pets will be experiencing and empathize on how terrifying this time of the year can be for them.

Why is your pet scared of loud noises?

As much as we get startled and get scared of loud noises, our pets feel exactly the same. When loud noises go off this New Year, the noise triggers the nervous system of your pets and that is what makes them afraid. Their hearing is a lot more amplified than ours, so it can be a lot more triggering (and scary!) for them. Loud noises are not natural to them (it's not like they hear it every day!) and they don't understand where it's coming from or why it's happening, that's why they run away, panic or try to hide.

So here are helpful tips to make your New Year's as happy for your pets as much as it is for you.

Keep them indoors this New Year.

Since everyone will pretty much be all over the yard and the streets, it can become tempting to take your pet outside with you. But don't. Loud noises coming from everywhere, even the loud laughters of your holiday guests can startle your pet and cause him to run away.

Provide a safe place.

If your cat/dog runs into a particular area in your house to try to hide, let him stay there. They are considering that to be their safe place. It can also be good for them if you can provide a bed placed inside a closet, under the table or in a small room.

"When loud noises go off this New Year, the noise triggers the nervous system of your pets and that is what makes them afraid."

Be mindful of the noise you create at home.

Sometimes with too much excitement we get carried away and we forget we're already making too much noise with our music, our laughters, and opening up champagne bottles. This adds up to the noises outside and adds up to our pets stressors.

Update IDs.

It's better to be safe than to be sorry later on. Make sure your pet has a sturdy and p-to-date identification tag on or a microchip implanted on him. This will help you BIG TIME in locating/finding him if he was to go missing/run away.

Keep them away from all of it.

The best way to lessen your pet's stress is to keep them away from whatever scares them. So provide a confinement area in your house that's comfortable enough and away from all the New Year hustle and bustle.

Fearful behaviors in furry family members will include shaking, trembling, hiding, salivation and frequent urination. They will struggle and will definitely not want to go outside at all (yes, even to potty!). But you can always plan ahead. Let them wear the Pet Parents® dog diaper, cat diapers or put on a pee pad on their confinement area for a mess-free New Year celebration!

"Make sure your pet has a sturdy and up-to-date identification tag on or a microchip implanted on him."

The author

MICKA V.

Author Bio

Micka Virtudazo is a full-time content creator at Pet Parents® who lives with thirteen adorable American Bullies and a Shih Tzu-Maltese mix named Gretel. She especially enjoys writing how-to articles as she feels through this she can connect to other pet parents on a more personal level.

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