Mary Allen
If the cat is afraid on New Year’s Eve, the owners usually suffer too. We have tips for you on how to take your cat’s fear away on New Year’s Eve.
Create a retreat
The top priority for the cat on New Year’s Eve is to give your cat a rest. Because the worst thing is all the loud firecrackers, firecrackers, and rockets that we humans still find somewhere and ignite. To create a place of retreat in your apartment – ideally even an entire room.
Ideally, you should darken it and shield it from noise and light as best as possible, e.g. B. lower the shutters. It is also advisable to put food and water in the room so that your little mouse catcher really does not lack anything.
Keep your cat indoors
This is a matter of course for indoor cats, but not for outdoor cats: You should definitely keep the little stray cats inside on New Year’s Eve. To be on the safe side, you should even ask your furry roommate into the house in the afternoon.
Many people start firing rockets or throwing smaller firecrackers at an early age. You certainly don’t want to put your cat or cats under this stress. If you want to allay your cat’s fears on New Year’s Eve, bring them into the house early.
Extra tip: If you have a dog, you should take him for a walk in good time. Because walking the dog at exactly midnight is one of the biggest mistakes on New Year’s Eve.
Prepare treats or toys
Doing something familiar can help relieve cat stress and anxiety on New Year’s Eve. Food not only calms us but also our sensitive adventurers. So prepare a few treats in the relaxation room. Maybe choose something particularly interesting or something your cat is particularly fond of. In this way, your cat may be distracted by the noise and fireworks.
An exciting toy or a cuddly pillow can also help. Use one of the four best toys for cats or grab your pet’s favorite toy.
It is important that your animal feels comfortable with its human (i.e. you) and is distracted by the noise and fireworks outside. If the fear on New Year’s Eve is not too great, your cat may be able to distract himself and spend a relaxing time with you.
Create a relaxed atmosphere
As mentioned, the worst thing for cats on New Year’s Eve is the noise. Cats have very sensitive ears and will quickly panic at loud noises. Of course, the noises from outside cannot be completely shielded, but you can counteract a little with quiet music and take the stress out of your pet.
Positive odorants can also help make the space more comfortable for the cat and distract from the noise outside. Many cat owners have had good experiences with Feliway. (There is also a comparable product for dogs. Just try it out on your dog.) Maybe it will also help your cat to overcome its fear on New Year’s Eve.
Check on your cat regularly
If you or someone in your family is staying at home for the New Year celebrations, it’s a good idea to check on your cat or cats regularly and see how scared they are of the fireworks. This will not only calm your velvet paw but probably also yourself and let you breathe deeply. Behave as calmly and normally as possible during these “patrols”. Serenity is one of the best advisors on New Year’s Eve.
If your pet is already used to New Year’s Eve with our tips and nobody is at home, make sure that the space is as comfortable as possible for your pet so that your velvet paw still has the feeling that everything is fine.
Get your animal used to the resting place
It is best to set up the retreat for your cat or cats before New Year’s Eve. Cats have a hard time adapting to the new and unknown, so selling an unfamiliar place as a safe haven before New Year’s Eve can be a real challenge.
It is best to set up the room or the small cave several days in advance, show your curious fur ball the place and get him used to it with treats or toys. So it is very possible that your cat will spend New Year’s Eve without fear.
Don’t comfort
Especially if you’re staying home for New Year’s Eve, you may find it difficult, but don’t overdo it with caring. Even if your cat mews or is scared, you shouldn’t pity or comfort her.
If you take care of your cat excessively, it can happen that you only make her more insecure. Cats interpret this behavior as implying that you are afraid and sense danger. So overprotectiveness is a bad guide.
It is, therefore, better to let your cat relax in its own retreat.
In an emergency: use tranquilizers
You should only use a sedative in extreme cases! It’s usually enough to let your cat rest and take care of it a little.
However, if your cat is particularly susceptible to loud noises or has had a traumatic experience in the past, visit your veterinarian and have them prescribe a New Year’s tranquilizer for your cat.
Alternatively or in addition, a natural Bach flower remedy can also be useful, which is administered via the drinking water and takes away your darling’s fear a little. Your vet is sure to be a good guide.
A good and completely natural alternative can also be CBD oil for cats. You can find out how it works, why it is completely legal, and how to use it here: CBD oil for cats – benefits, dosage, effect.
Don’t let yourself be softened
No matter how much your darling meows and begs, make sure you keep him in the house. Even after midnight, you should not risk letting your cat outside.
As in the afternoon, some people will still shoot rockets into the air that could startle your outdoor cat. In the worst case, your panicked fur ball can get lost or even be involved in an accident.
Do noise training with the cat
If you want to take away your cat or cats’ fear on New Year’s Eve, there is another very effective tip that you can find in some guides: There are special noise training sessions that can be very effective, especially for young cats.
Your velvet paw gets to know different noises and understands that they do not mean danger. In this way, New Year’s Eve is possible without fear for your cat.
It often also helps to give treats to the noises and thus associate them with something positive – ideally, fireworks should quickly stop causing stress.
We wish you a happy new year and hopefully a healthy and happy New Year and above all a relaxed New Year’s Eve celebration for you (your dog) and your cat!