Many of us will be celebrating the 4th of July holiday soon. Although there will be lots of fun and good food, your pets may not love all the people and sounds of the celebration. The 4th of July and Independence Day celebrations can be exciting, fun, and filled with activities, including fireworks. However, don't forget to consider your feathered and furred friends who may not think it's as fun as the humans do.
The pops and bangs of loud brightly lit fireworks can be quite unnerving to some of our non-human family members. Loud neighborhood fireworks always make my birds nervous and stressed. Some get flighty, especially the cockatiels, and some get very very quiet and still as if by doing so they are invisible to any danger. My little Yorkie dog is terrified of all the loud pops and sizzles and keeps an eye on me for reassurance.
Keeping your bird inside during the celebrations is a very good idea. Birds can be frightened by the noise and unfamiliar people and can easily become scared and try to fly away. If flighted, you may never find your bird. If clipped your bird may get accidentally injured around people who may not be bird aware. A fright severe enough can cause a health issue that you may or may not be able to handle successfully.
Even when safely inside the home, you may need to reassure and help ease any anxiety among the birds. I partially or fully cover the cage of any birds that get very upset. Being at least partially covered tends to make mine feel more protected and they do settle down better. I close blinds or curtains in their room to dim the flashes of possible fireworks. I include special treats in everyone's dish in the hope that getting a special treat helps distract them from the goings on. I'm lucky that my birds are in their own bird sunroom so it's easy to keep visitors out of their room. If your bird is usually where people gather, you may want to consider moving the cage into a quiet bedroom until after the fireworks and visitors are gone. If the cage is too big to move, a sleep cage or even a travel carrier can work just as well.
Playing a television or radio on low can also help mask the booms and pops of fireworks and strange voices of visitors, and can help make those noises blend in with the background noise of music or television shows.
A little forethought for the feathered and furred family members will help ensure your July 4th Holiday is a fun celebration for all.
