How are your furry friends doing tonight?

[iemanja]

My dog who is terrified of everything--especially people--somehow isn't afraid of fireworks.
I hope your furry loved ones are coping well.

[Ocelot II]

1. Cat is pretty oblivious, just flicking her ears now and then.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. My youngest child's cat was upset

We ended up only watching one episode of Ms. Marvel before she had to go to her bedroom and take care of the cas

[multigraincracker]

2. My dad use to raise and train bird dogs.

When he fed the pups he had a cap gun he’d fire off. They loved loud bangs.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. It was better tonight than last night

Last night, there were some fireworks going off nearby and my beardie was in my lap shaking. Tonight, the fireworks were more distant and he just laid down by me feet and was fine

[FuzzyRabbit]

5. Milo the cat is doing OK.

I gave him a dose of gabapetin (prescribed by his vet) and this helps him to remain calm.

[slightlv]

6. My dog has refused to go outside all day.

Had an accident on the floor earlier. Quick mop up took care of it. He was forgiven, of course. He's in the bathroom, and I'm kicking myself for not getting sedatives for him.

The cats are surprising me. They've not seemed to be bothered before, but this year they're downright terrified. Of course, we do have some really loud ones going off. Sounds like a war zone. I've got around 10 cats, including one who's now about 8 weeks old. Even the ones who have an uneasy truce with each other are huddling together in close spaces - mostly under my desk or close to it. I had to go out earlier, and when I got back, I found 8 of them huddled together under my desk, shaking as hard as they could shake, crying as they saw me walk in. Talk about feeling like a bad Mom! I went over to them, sat down on the floor next to them, and petted and tried to calm each one of them by stroking and softly talking to each. I even brought out the big bin of catnip, took the lid off and purposely left it, so they could "self-medicate" as needed. Then gathered up the smallest one, Luna, and held her close to my heart so she could hear and sync to my heartbeat. I'm hoping my sense of calm helped them to feel calm. I've spent most of the evening on the floor playing with them, with fans and A/C on trying to mask the noise of the "booms." And I've still got two in hiding who've missed supper. They're in the house, I know... just in a good hidey-hole someplace, poor babies.

I hate this time of year!

[cate94]

7. Our dog has become more anxious as she ages.

In spite of the anti anxiety meds, she hid in the shower from 9-12 on 7/3. We watched the community fireworks from our deck, and they are far enough to not be too loud, but our neighbors make up for it by setting off M80’s. When the community fireworks are over, our neighbors put on a display that is bigger, louder and much closer.

There are thunderstorms now and she is pacing. Three days of scary stuff right in a row. Hoping tomorrow is quiet.

[Emile]

8. My outdoor cats are use to loud bangs from gun nuts

that live in this area.

[ShazzieB]

9. I have no idea why, but it's been really quiet this year.

And boy, am I glad!

My cat, Willow, has been calm except for when we had a thunderstorm earlier tonight. She didn't care for that at all, but it didn't last long, fortunately. 😸

[wnylib]

10. Quieter than usual this year until

about 8:00 pm. A few distant "booms" that got Ember's (cat) ears perked up. Then some idiot nearby on my street was shooting off something that made a ratta-tat-tat sound. Not loud, but irritating.

Ember sat on the window sill searching for the source. Neither one of us could locate it. In the past, Ember has aggressively growled at the fireworks that make loud booming sounds, as if protecting us from this danger. Tonight she was a little fearful at first and "hid" under the coffee table.

But she joined me at the window as I watched some quiet displays shoot up in the sky. Her body language showed full alert mode at the strange sight, but no growling this time, maybe because they made no noise.

[Walleye]

11. Tiger managed to make it up to my deck between the end of the barbecue and the beginning of firework

Fireworks, outdoor kitty. So he got his supper, very glad to see him, he beat a retreat when the fireworks started. Later last night when I got up he was back on the deck, so I gave him another can and he seemed fine. Glad to see that my indoor cat just seemed annoyed. So we made it through another year. My brother said his dog was terrified

[Siwsan]

12. Unusually light fireworks activity in the neighborhood. Madoc and Gryff were fine

Arthur was a little unsettled. He curled up on me for some reassuring scritches.

I did have the AC running so the windows were all closed. That definitely mitigated some of the noise. I'm just relieved I won't have to spend the morning cleaning up debris from my lawn.

[hlthe2b]

13. Many dogs who are fine with them when younger, develop sensitivities when they get older...

That's how my sweet girl is. Given how hot the house was, that she snuggled up with me late evening and stayed there glued to me only underscores. She's not as bad in that respect as my last dog, who was inconsolable and would spend hours in the "safety" of a darkened interior bathroom shower stall, but very uncomfortable nonetheless.

Fortunately, she seemed to self-calm after a couple of hours and seems fine this early in the morning.

[brer cat]

14. It was very loud and long here.

My cat hid under my chair until I went to bed, and then went under the bed for the night. I feel so sorry for him. The booms make him panic.

[The Mouth]

15. I have taken every dog I've ever had to the shooting range as a pup

and just hang out, giving them treats, so they associate the booms and bangs with nothing too horrible.

Not sure if it would work with every dog, but over the last 34 years and 4 dogs I've never had an issue with fireworks.