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Join us as we share advice on how to keep your pets safe and calm on bonfire night. We'll make sure your little furry friends get some sleep.
5 Min Read | By Nat Took
Last Modified 7 October 2025 First Added 2 October 2020
Fireworks can turn a fun night into a nightmare for pets. Loud bangs and flashing lights can trigger serious anxiety in dogs, cats and small animals. In fact, a poll by Ceva Animal Health found that Bonfire Night causes anxiety in over 80% of pets. As a Registered SQP for companion animals, here’s some advice on how to keep your pets calm, safe and settled on Bonfire Night, and every fireworks event after, so you can your furry friend can sleep stress-free.
Set up a quiet and cosy area where your pet feels secure. Use blankets, toys and an item with your scent to make it comforting. Allow your pet to come and go freely so they know it’s a positive safe space. Start building this habit a few days before the fireworks start.
As soon as it gets darker, close windows and doors to muffle the noise, and draw curtains to block out flashes. Thick curtains, rugs and closed doors help to reduce stress. This also ensures that your pet can’t escape if they do get spooked.
Turn on the TV, play music, or use a white noise machine to mask the sound of fireworks. The steady sounds help to drown out the bangs. Turning up the volume on your show or playing dog-specific calming playlists can work wonders for anxious pets.
Your pet takes emotional cues from you, so stay relaxed, speak softly and act normal. Ignore the fireworks and avoid overreacting to loud noises, as they will likely follow you. Calm behaviour from you signals to your pet that everything is fine.
Take your dog for a longer walk earlier in the day before fireworks begin to tire them out. Always keep them on a lead just in case of any early bangs. After the walk, your dog is likely going to want to relax and take a nap. This will lead to less panic once the fireworks begin.
Products like Adaptil for dogs or Feliway for cats release natural pheromones that help pets feel safe. Plug diffusers in a few days before Bonfire Night to build up the effects. Or you can also use calming sprays on bedding to give a comfortable and calming message in their safe space.
Enrichment activities can release endorphins that promote relaxation. Furthermore, they won’t pay attention to the fireworks if they are distracted. Give dogs something to focus on, such as a chew toy, stuffed Kong, lick mat or puzzle feeder. For cats, try treat balls or gentle play before fireworks start.
Let your dog take a toilet break before the fireworks begin, and keep cats in from early evening. Secure door flaps to stop pets from going outside later on. For rabbits and guinea pigs, move hutches into a garage, shed, or quiet room if possible. Cover hutches with a thick blanket to block light and sound, just make sure to leave room for ventilation.
Extra hay or shredded paper lets rabbits and guinea pigs burrow and feel secure. It also helps to block sound and vibration from the fireworks. Make sure they have plenty of food and water before they start.
If possible, sit quietly nearby, offer gentle reassurance, and let your pet approach you for comfort if it wishes. Being there will be comforting, even if they prefer to hide until it’s over, so don’t force contact, as it may stress them out.
Scared pets can run off unexpectedly. If a door is opened and they bolt, you’ll want to be prepared. Make sure your pet’s ID, collar, and microchip details are correct so they can be reunited quickly if lost. If your pet does get out – don’t panic as running after them will only cause them to get scared more.
If your pet struggles every firework season, or they’re an anxious pet regularly, consider calming aids. Herbal supplements, chews, pheromone collars and anxiety vests can help them year-round, more than just diffusers. For severe phobias, speak to your vet about anxiety medication for pets.
No matter how your pet reacts to fireworks, don’t shout, scold or force your pet to face their fears. Fear isn’t a bad behaviour, and punishing or panicking based on their actions will only increase anxiety. Stay calm, patient and reassuring.
If you can plan weeks or months in advance, play low-volume fireworks sounds for about 10 minutes while your pet is distracted and reward calm behaviour. Gradually increase volume when your pet is ready to build confidence. This long-term training can dramatically reduce fear responses.
Make sure you know when your local events are for Bonfire Night or New Year’s. This way you can make sure you have enough time to prepare your home for the fireworks. You’ll also know how long you’ll need to be around for your pet. Knowing when fireworks are likely to go off allows you to prep everything else in advance.
Although we can’t truly know why pets are scared of fireworks, we can make educated assumptions. For example, pets tend to have more sensitive hearing than us humans. A loud noise such as a firework is naturally scary for them. It also won’t help that they cannot make sense of the loud noise and flashing lights. They don’t know it’s Bonfire Night and therefore have no reason to expect fireworks.
When pets are scared, their fight-or-flight response is triggered. But when it comes to fireworks, there is nowhere to hide and nothing to fight. Your pet can’t control the situation, even when they are in the safety of their own home, so it’s no wonder Bonfire Night is highly stressful for pets.
Every pet is different, but there are some signs you can look out for to see if your pet is stressed during Bonfire Night. Just remember, pets all have different personalities and so can show stress in different ways. As you know your pet best, keep an eye out for any unexplained changes in behaviour. But, in general, the signs that your pet is stressed are:
Signs of stress in dogs
Signs of stress in cats
Signs of stress in rabbits
If you’ve noticed these signs in previous years, you should consider taking a proactive approach to calming and preparing your pet for this year’s Bonfire Night. It could even be worth talking to your vet if your pet finds this time of year extremely difficult.
Yes, gentle reassurance can make a big difference. If your dog comes to you for comfort, stay calm and speak softly while giving slow, steady strokes. Your relaxed energy helps signal that there’s nothing to fear.
If your dog prefers to hide, let them. Forcing attention or dragging them out can make their anxiety worse. Avoid overreacting or fussing too much. The goal is to provide quiet, steady reassurance so your dog feels safe and supported until the fireworks stop.
Sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, your pet may still get scared of the loud noises and flashing lights that come with Bonfire Night. If this happens, don’t ever punish your pet for being scared, this will only make things worse. It’s also important that you stay calm and act normal.
Instead, follow your pet’s lead on what they want to comfort themselves. They may ignore the safe area you have created for them (this is fine), or they may go straight there to calm themselves. If your pet wants comfort, give it to them. Stroke them and talk gently, you can also try to distract them with a toy. However, try not to overdo it, you want to act as normal as possible.
On the other hand, if your pet would prefer to be left alone and hide, allow them the space they want. Just be sure to keep an eye on them, so that they don’t put themselves in danger. This is especially true for cats, who may seek a hiding spot high up, so make sure it’s secure and they can’t slip. With cats it’s also important that you don’t pick them up or try to restrain them, they like to be in control when they’re scared.
If your pet trembles, hides, pants excessively, or refuses to eat every year during fireworks, it’s time to speak to your vet. Don’t wait until Bonfire Night, book an appointment a few weeks in advance so you have time to prepare.
Your vet can assess the severity of your pet’s anxiety and rule out any medical issues that might make stress worse. For some pets, professional behaviour therapy or desensitisation training can help build long-term confidence around loud noises.
If your dog or cat has a severe phobia, your vet may recommend short-term anti-anxiety medication, calming supplements, or pheromone diffusers to take the edge off during fireworks season. They can also guide you on how to safely combine behavioural training with these aids for the best results.
Sleeping on Bonfire Night can be difficult for pets. But with a little preparation and forward-thinking, you can help to keep your pet calm and safe so they can get a good night’s sleep regardless. Build positive habits early, keep your routine steady, and let your pet know you’re there. However, if your pet has a severe phobia or won’t settle down despite all your efforts, seek advice from your vet. Fireworks may be unavoidable, but stress doesn’t have to be.
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