Bonfire Night gives pet owners ‘paws' for thought

Over half (52%) of household pets will struggle to cope with this week's upcoming Bonfire Night celebrations, according to research from The Co-operative Pet Insurance.

The survey of 2,000 pet owners shows that household pets can be badly affected by Bonfire Night, with their main cause of distress being noisy fireworks (80%). Pets are also affected by the bonfire itself (11%), sparklers (9%), the smell of fire (7%) and smoke (5%).

The noises associated with the Guy Fawkes' celebrations can cause pets to behave erratically. Over a third of pets hide as a reaction to firework noise (34%). Furthermore, the findings have shown that pet owners have witnessed their dog bark continually (27%) and a quarter (25%) have seen pets cower away from noise.

Despite one in five (20%) pet owners admitting that they allow their animals to go outside on Bonfire Night, The Co-operative Pet Insurance advises pet owners to keep animals indoors, especially as the findings revealed that 5% of pets have been sadly injured on Bonfire Night.

With the new research from The Co-operative Pet Insurance revealing that it can take pets days to recover from the festivities of Bonfire Night, The Co-operative Insurance offers its top tips for keeping pets safe.

The Co-operative Pet Insurance Top Tips for keeping your pets safe this Bonfire Night:

1. Before Bonfire Night, create a safe and comfortable environment for your pet. This could be a "den" area where they will know that they are safe.

2. Walk your dog during the day in advance of Bonfire Night itself. If you are unable to do so, you should ensure that you walk your dog in a familiar area, which it knows well.

3. On Bonfire Night keep all pets inside, including those who normally live outside, such as rabbits.

4. Make sure that all doors and windows are securely locked, so that no animals escape outside.

5. Inside the house shut all curtains, play background music or have the TV on, which will both distract and reassure your pet.

Lee Mooney, Head of Pet Insurance at The Co-operative Insurance, said: "Animals have a much more acute sense of hearing than adults and whilst we can enjoy Bonfire Night celebrations with minimal stress, household pets very often cannot.

"The findings clearly show that many household pets are extremely sensitive to the noise of Bonfire Night, and can become very distressed by it.

"The Co-operative would advise all pet owners to keep their pet's safe inside and comfort them through what can be a stressful period."

The Co-operative Pet Insurance is available online at co-operativeinsurance.co.uk where it can be purchased at 25% discount.