Five Pet Place Issues July 4th Recommendations

Online, July 3, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Five Pet Place, a company specializing in producing attractive and functional products for cats, today released its recommendations for protecting cats from the light and noise associated with July 4th fireworks. These recommendations are based on the personal experience of Five Pet Place founder Michael Ostrofsky and his five cats Napa, Sabrina, Lucy, Sparky and Paint. These recommendations may be used for dogs as well.

"I've lived in cities where fireworks are legal," said Ostrofsky. "For animals not used to them, the flashes and noise can be terrifying. I've seen animals jump over fences and sprint through neighborhoods in an attempt to run away from the commotion. Since they're so frightened, they're not thinking -- so they can easily get lost or run into traffic. This is definitely a situation where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

For Indoor Cats

As dusk approaches, set up safety zones for your pets. An interior bathroom or bedroom with a large walk in closet works best as these locations don't have windows and insulate your pets from bright flashes while minimizing the amount of noise that reaches them.

Place a Food & Water Server and Litter Tray or Litter Cabinet within this area. Set up an area for them to rest as well. "We take the cushions from our Window Beds and place them in our safety zones because our cats are familiar with them," said Ostrofsky. Another thoughtful option is to provide a space to hide, such as a box, in order for them to feel safe.

If this is the first year for a certain pet to go through a July 4th experience, it should be isolated. Otherwise, pets may share a single safety zone, although no more than two is recommended in any one area. "You don't want a situation where an animal panics and others are exposed because they might become frightened as well," said Ostrofsky. "That's why separating animals during their first year is important. That way you can tell which animals will be comfortable and which require isolation -- although you can group a couple of animals who are comfortable together in the years that follow."

For Outdoor Cats

For those who care for outdoor cats living in areas like their backyard, options are somewhat limited -- but steps still can be taken. If you can lure these outdoor cats into an area like a garage, by all means do so. Just make sure everyone is accounted for afterwards. "A cat might crawl up into an automobile's engine compartment to feel safe," said Ostrofsky. "Therefore, make sure everybody has gone back out before starting any car in that garage."

Be sure to set this area up like any safety zone inside your home with food, water, litter, a place to rest and a place to hide if necessary. "One year we had a cat hide in a lawn mower bag," said Ostrofsky. Fortunately, it was disconnected from the mower so we were able to see it and encourage it to go back outside after the festivities were concluded."

If you cannot lure your outdoor cats inside, then you can try to set up an insulated hiding space for them -- although they'll usually just go to a familiar sleeping spot. Leaving exterior lights on through the night will help your house stand out in case a cat becomes panicked and needs help finding its way back home. "Since the options for protecting outdoor cats are limited at best, this is where proper identification of your cats is critical," said Ostrofsky. "At a minimum they should have a collar -- although an identification chip is preferred. You should also have current photos of all your pets in the event they become lost so you can create posters to help find them."

During Fireworks Displays

While the fireworks displays are taking place, you may choose to stay with your pets -- but exercise caution while doing so. "If an animal becomes panicked, sometimes the best option is to leave it alone," said Ostrofsky. "People instinctively reach to try and comfort a stressed animal -- but a panicked animal, in extreme cases, might bite or scratch. If your cat's obviously stressed, just leave it alone and let the situation play itself out. Don't try dragging it out of a hiding area to hold and comfort it. It'll just make the situation more stressful while opening up the potential for an animal to lash out in fear."

What To Expect

A properly executed safety zone usually results in your cats just hanging out and relaxing. Sometimes, given the size and proximity of the fireworks being detonated near your home, an animal will exhibit signs of stress and manage the situation by hiding in an area where it feels relatively safe. Only in extreme situations will an animal show signs of panicking, yet managing the first year of exposure is important to learn how a new animal will cope.

"Most people learn how their animal will adjust to bright flashes and loud noises during thunderstorms," said Ostrofsky. "Yet there are regions in the country, such as here in Northern California, where those events are rare. The key here is to anticipate and take a few minutes to be thoughtful and prepare. We've had large parties to celebrate the 4th and fireworks displays were part of those events -- and since we care about our cats so much -- we wanted to take some precautions to make sure they were comfortable and safe. Since they worked out so well, we decided to share what we've done with others."