Fireworks Fears

Happy 4th of July! Enjoy your celebration but--take some steps to ensure your furry family members have a good day, too.

About 20 % of d*gs fear fireworks, and cats aren't immune either. At best, these fearful critters hide. At worst, they panic, damage property, crash through windows and injure themselves, or simply run away and become lost.

It takes weeks and even months to "desensitize" fearful pets to loud noises. And frankly, some pets never overcome these phobias. But there are some tools you can use immediately that can help reduce your pets' stress.

You'll probably notice how upset pets squeeze into tight places, between the sofa and wall for example--or hide their faces in your armpits. The sensation helps them control their stress. The Anxiety Wrap applies even pressure to the pet's body, too. The creator of this tool notes that the pet often sleeps through the night (even during thunderstorms or fireworks) after wearing the wrap only one-to-three times.

Another d*g trainer tool, the Calming Cap seems to help some dogs through stressful, anxious situations by hiding their eyes.

Another option includes Comfort Zone with DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) or Feliway (for cats). The canine product is an analogue of the pheromone mom-dogs produce to calm nursing puppies. Feliway mimics the cheek pheromones cats produce that tell them their territory is safe.

Certain types of music can prove calming, too, by "entraining" the pet's heart, respiration and brain waves to slow down and match the soothing rhythm. Harp music really works! I attended a veterinary conference and lecture, and saw video clips of upset pets settling down and sleeping within ten minutes of listening to harp music. Read more about the therapeutic effects of harp music at www.petpause2000.com

Photos via kubina and XxSTRYKERxX