Orange tabby cat with bright green eyes, a pet that may feel anxious during fireworks

How to Keep Your Cat Calm During Fireworks: A UK Guide

To help a cat cope with fireworks, give them a cosy hiding place, keep them indoors from late afternoon, close the curtains, play gentle background noise, let them choose where they feel safest, and consider natural calming support for pets. If your cat's fear is severe, speak to your vet.

When is firework season in the UK?

Bonfire Night (5 November) is the main date, but fireworks often start weeks before and carry on afterwards. Diwali (October or November, dates change each year) and New Year's Eve are also busy times, so it pays to be ready well ahead.

Signs your cat is stressed by fireworks

  • Hiding, or disappearing for hours
  • Wide, dilated pupils and flattened ears
  • Refusing food
  • Toileting outside the litter tray
  • Over-grooming, restlessness or extra vocalising

7 ways to help your cat cope with fireworks

  1. Create a cosy hiding place. A covered bed, a cardboard box or a spot under furniture with blankets and a favourite toy gives your cat somewhere safe to retreat to.
  2. Keep your cat indoors. From late afternoon until the fireworks finish, keep cats inside. Close cat flaps, windows and doors, and put food, water and a litter tray in their safe room.
  3. Soften the bangs. Keep curtains closed and play gentle background noise such as the radio, the TV or soft music.
  4. Let them choose. Do not pull your cat out of a hiding place or try to restrain them. Check on them quietly and let them come to you.
  5. Stay calm and keep to routine. Cats pick up on our mood, so stay relaxed and feed at the usual times.
  6. Check their microchip details. Frightened cats can bolt, so make sure your contact details are up to date.
  7. Add natural calming support. Phytopet has a calming range for pets, so you can build a plan that suits your cat. Always follow the label directions.
    • Calm Xtra: our strongest herbal calmer, designed for acute or situational stress such as fireworks.
    • Calm & Focus: a gentle daily herbal formula for everyday and ongoing stress, useful in the run up to firework season.
    • Salmon Oil Plus 300ml Calming Support: Scottish salmon oil with calming herbs, easy to add to daily feeding.

If your cat's fear is severe or getting worse, speak to your vet or a qualified behaviourist. Check with your vet before using any supplement if your cat is on medication, is pregnant or has a health condition.

Fireworks and cats: common questions

Should I let my cat outside during firework season?

It is safest to keep cats indoors from late afternoon through the evening, with a litter tray available, until the fireworks have finished.

Should I try to get my cat out of their hiding place?

No. Hiding is a normal way for cats to cope. Leave them be, make sure they can reach food, water and a litter tray, and check on them quietly.

Can natural calming supplements help cats with fireworks?

Herbal supplements are designed to help pets maintain a sense of calm and emotional balance. Phytopet Calm Xtra is made for acute or situational stress such as fireworks, while Calm & Focus is a gentle formula for everyday and ongoing stress. They are intended to be used alongside a hiding place, a steady routine and noise masking, not instead of them.

What about dogs and other pets?

The same principles apply: a quiet safe space, closed curtains and background noise. See our guide to keeping your dog calm during fireworks. Small animals kept outdoors should have their hutches moved to a quiet, sheltered spot such as a garage or shed, and partly covered with a blanket.

Natural calming support from Phytopet

Explore the full Anxiety, Behaviour and Mood range, including Calm Xtra, Calm & Focus and Salmon Oil Plus Calming Support. For more on adapting your pet's care through the year, read our seasonal pet care guide.

Sources and further reading

This article is general advice and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.

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