Fireworks events are great fun for the family whether celebrating a birthday, seeing in the New Year or the traditional 5th of November but for some of our four legged friends they can be downright terrifying.

Cats do tend to cope with fireworks better than dogs on the whole unless they are let off close by. That said there are still a few precautions to take to keep your furry friends safe.

1. If you or your neighbours are having a bonfire always take a few minutes with a torch to have a poke around inside for anything tucked up cosy and warm before you light up - chances are the cat will have scarpered at your approach but better safe than sorry and the hedgehogs can't move as quick
2. Try and keep cats locked up for the night and if they have a cat flap, put the lock on, a curfew for a few nights wont harm them. If your cat is a real outdoor lover then most of the noise should be over by 10:00 so let them back out then if you dont think they can make it till the morning.
3. Most cats once locked up safe and sound will head for their favourite spot and ignore the outside world but if you have a scaredy puss don't react yourself just sit down calmly, turn the TV up and make out that it's just another evening in by the fire - they'll pick up from your calmness and if not settle they will at least be reassured.
4. There are several stress remedies on the market for cats some work better than others and some work on some cats but not on others. Shop around.
5. If all else fails or if there have been reports of animal cruelty in your area then get them booked in somewhere nice and safe - Farcroft is several miles from all the large public displays and over the firework night week we turn the music up nice and loud  until 10:30.

There are lots of dogs out there who will just ignore fireworks, some actually seem to love them and some, I'm afraid are in utter terror for the entire evening - we have one of each.

Mica our youngest is totally unimpressed by them, Amber our smooth Viszla is fascinated by them and will stand out on the decking - paws on the railing watching the lights in the sky and Ruby, our eldest, is in total terror.

As with cats the best thing to do is to remain calm and relaxed and turn up the telly- don't make too much fuss of your dog as this only serves to reinforce that there is something to be afraid of.

There are several products on the market for stress relief for dogs and over the years we have had limited success with two in particular - the thunder shirt and DAP, again differant things work for differant dogs and contrary to any sales claims no product can be guaranteed to work.

A little preplanning can work wonders as well especially if you have a new puppy in your life - there are several fireworks videos available on Youtube; in the weeks running up to the fireworks celebrations start to play them out loud in a room where your dog can hear them, slowly increasing the volume. A word of warning though if your dog is terrified from the outset and shows no sign of calming down then stop, as their is little point in extending their terror unnecessarily.

And finally if all else fails get them booked into somewhere out of the way where they can be kept safe and secure for the weekend/week.