Cat scared of fireworks and bangers: what to do
In Spain there are fireworks for half the year: Saint John's Eve, Las Fallas, every town's local fiesta, New Year's Eve, and many countries have their own big fireworks nights. Trembling dogs are easy to spot, but frightened cats hide and suffer in silence, and some escape through a window. There's a lot you can do, some of it on the night itself and some weeks in advance.
Why fireworks scare them so much
A cat's hearing is far sharper than ours and picks up frequencies we can't hear. A banger that makes you jump sounds deafening to a cat. Fireworks are also sharp, unpredictable noises that come from different directions and that the cat can't connect with anything, which makes them especially terrifying for an animal whose sense of safety depends on being in control of its surroundings. Unlike many dogs, which look for their owner, a cat's typical reaction is to hide in the most protected spot it can find and stay there for hours, sometimes without eating or using the litter tray. Not seeing it tremble doesn't mean it isn't having a hard time.
First: make sure it can't escape
The biggest danger on a fireworks night isn't the fear but bolting. A terrified cat may leap from a window or balcony it normally ignores, and many cats get lost or fall on exactly those nights. Before the fireworks start, close windows and balconies, including tilt-and-turn windows left on the tilt setting, which are a dangerous trap. If your cat has outdoor access, bring it in before dark and don't let it out until the next day. Warn everyone at home to be careful when opening the door. And check now, not on the night, that its microchip has your up-to-date details: that's what brings it home if everything else fails.
Set up a hiding place
Frightened cats look for a small, dark spot, either high up or well enclosed, where they feel protected: under a bed, inside a wardrobe, behind the sofa. Don't stop them: it's how they cope with fear. Instead, help by preparing a good hiding place in advance in the quietest room in the middle of the home, with a cardboard box or an open carrier with a blanket that smells of your cat, plus another hiding spot up high if possible. Leave water, a litter tray and some food in that room, because it may not want to come out for hours. Give it free access to that refuge and the rest of the home, but never shut it in by force or pull it out of its hiding place.
Muffle the noise and the flashes
The aim isn't total silence, which is impossible, but to soften the bangs. Close windows and blinds, which cut down the noise and hide the flashes. Put on a constant background sound, such as the television, the radio, calm music or a fan, so the fireworks stand out less. There's music designed specifically for cats, with tempos and frequencies chosen for them; some studies suggest it relaxes them more than music made for humans, although any steady, familiar sound helps. And if you can, stay at home on those nights: your calm presence won't stop the fear, but it means your cat doesn't spend the night alone, and you can check it's all right.
How you should behave
Stay calm and act normally. If your cat comes to you, you can stroke it and talk to it quietly: it isn't true that comforting a frightened animal reinforces its fear. But if it prefers to hide, let it. Don't go looking for it, don't drag it out from under the bed and don't pick it up to soothe it if it doesn't want that, because a terrified cat may scratch or bite out of fear and will also learn that it has no control. Offer a really tasty treat next to its hiding place, in case it fancies it. And if you have several cats, watch that they don't fight: fear can trigger redirected aggression between them, which sometimes damages a good relationship.
Pheromones, in advance
Feline facial pheromone diffusers, which mimic the calming scent marks cats leave, can help some cats a little in stressful situations. If you want to try one, plug it in a few days before the date, in the room with the hiding place, because it needs time to fill the air. In Spain they cost between €25 and €35 with the first refill. To be honest, they work to varying degrees and don't perform miracles on a very frightened cat. They're a help, not a solution. The same goes for over-the-counter supplements with calming ingredients, for which the evidence is even more limited. What really makes the difference in severe cases is talking to your vet.
If the fear is intense, see the vet
Some cats spend fireworks nights in real panic: they don't eat, don't use the litter tray, wet or soil themselves, pant or hurt themselves trying to escape. If that's your cat, talk to the vet weeks in advance, not the day before. There are medicines a vet can prescribe to be given before a specific event that greatly reduce anxiety, and the choice and dose depend on each cat, its age and its health, so never medicate your cat yourself. Never use human medicines, which can be very toxic to cats. And if possible, have the vet trial the medication on a quiet day before the date.
For next year: work on the fear in good time
Fear of noises can be worked on out of season with a technique called desensitisation and counterconditioning. It involves playing recordings of fireworks at a volume so low that the cat isn't scared, while you give it something it loves, such as its favourite wet food or a play session. Over several weeks, and always while the cat stays relaxed, the volume is raised very gradually. The aim is for the sound to stop signalling danger and start signalling something good. If at any point it shows fear, you've gone too fast and need to go back to a lower volume. It works best with a professional's help, and you need to start months before the festivities.
After the night
The next day, let your cat come out of hiding at its own pace. Many cats take hours to recover and some stay scared for a couple of days, especially if the fireworks carry on sporadically. Check that it's eating, drinking and using the litter tray normally. If a cat goes more than a day without eating, or hasn't urinated, or if it's a male and you see him straining in the litter tray, go to the vet, because stress can trigger urinary problems such as idiopathic cystitis. Also check it for injuries if it tried to escape. And if your cat goes outdoors, keep it in while the fireworks continue in your area, which during some festivities means several days.
On the night: windows and balconies shut, cat indoors before dark, a quiet hiding place with water and a litter tray, background noise, and never pull it out of hiding. Check today that the microchip has your details. If the fear is intense, talk to your vet weeks beforehand, and work on desensitisation in good time for next year.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.