New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration, but it can also be a stressful and dangerous time for pets, particularly cats and dogs. The loud noises and fireworks that often accompany the holiday can be scary and disorienting for animals, and the risk of accidents or escapes is higher than usual due to the increased activity and potential for open doors.
Here are a few tips to help keep your cats and dogs safe during New Year’s Eve:
1. Keep your pets safe indoors on NYE:
It’s a good idea to keep your cats and dogs inside on New Year’s Eve to protect them from the noise and potential dangers of fireworks. If possible, try to keep them in a room that is far away from the noise and has plenty of hiding spots.
2. Provide a safe space
Create this safe and comfortable space for your pets to retreat to if they become anxious or frightened. This could be a crate or a quiet room with plenty of blankets and toy and soothing music (reggae, soft classical music), and whatever calming chews or meds as instructed by your vet. Make sure to keep their door closed when the party gets going and check on them throughout the night.
3. Tire them out
Make sure you walk dogs on a leash and get their energy out well before nightfall/fireworks time. Long walks, exercise, and training will burn up their energy and help most pups settle down later. Never let them out without a leash, but especially not on a night where they can get spooked by early fireworks and take off.
4. ID tags and collars are a must
Keep ID tags, microchips up to date and make sure collars fit. If your pet does manage to escape, having up-to-date identification tags on their collar will increase the chances of them being returned to you safely. It’s also a good idea to have your pet microchipped for added security. Make sure your microchips are registered!
5. Keep an eye on your pets:
It’s important to keep a close eye on your pets during New Year’s Eve, especially if you have lots of guests over. Make sure they don’t escape through an open door or get into any harmful substances, and that your check your fences if you have them. Make sure your guests are on the same page as you, because sometimes non-pet owners don’t have the same common sense as we do!
6. Keep them away from alcohol
New Year’s Eve means a lot of drinking to many. Be careful with alcohol and other substances, and make sure all alcohol and other potentially harmful substances are out of reach of your pets. That means beer, wine, hard liquor, etc…; and if you smoke recreationally or take edibles, be extra careful.
By following these simple steps, you can help ensure that your pets stay safe and calm during New Year’s Eve and ready to start 2023 and their New Year’s resolutions off well! Happy celebrating!
A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.
