General Chat

Think they should be OK Baz good idea to put the pond liner on though. Hope the chicks are well I first had canaries and finches my Dad had the lot foriegn in one avairy and budgies in another. When he died I kept the budgies and had a couple of pair of cockatiels. Loved it when the new birds came out used to be on pins wondering what colour they would be. Germaine x

Actually Germaine, I've got a large sheet of pond liner that I'm going to use as a screen over the wire. Hopefully they'll be OK., hope so, as the budgies are sitting on 12 eggs, and the finches have 8 babies that have just learnt to fly

Oh never thought about your birds Baz but when I had birds I had a sheet that was always pulled down at nights more so in winter they never seemed to have been bothered by fireworks. Mind you it is about 15 years since I had an aviary and fireworks have got louder. Germaine x Me too Strump though this little dog we have now doesn't seem bothered but I used to dread it when I had my Elsa she was so terrified she would try to get on my knee , not easy a 6 plus stone German Shepherd sat on your knee. Hope she goes on OK Germaine x

My baby cat sits very close to me and shakes, not just Nov 5th, a month leading up to it as well. I hate fire works!

What about my birds in the aviary ? Any ideas on what to do with them ?

Bonfire Nightmares Well, chances are like us, your being bombarded from all sides with crashes and bangs from all directions your probably dreading the next couple of weeks when the local kids, big kids are setting off fireworks every minute of every day. We're lucky as our dogs don't turn a hair, in fact they hardly raise an eyebrow from they're slumber but not all dogs are so lucky. If your pet does suffer from stress and is getting worse due to the trauma, here's a few ideas that may help. One thing to remember is don't over react to all the noise as your pet will pick up on this and quickly realize that they're is obviously something to worry about and remember to close all the curtains front and back in order to minimize the flashes. Act normal, if possible act like you didn't hear a thing but should your pet be in severe distress, a quiet word, a pat on the head may be enough to ease the problem. But try not to over-fuss your pet therefore confirming his fear. Turn the tv up, have visitors round who your pet loves to see. Talk and have a laugh, anything to take your pets mind off what's going on outside. It's just a normal night to you. If by chance no one calls, why not have a game or a little training session, anything to occupy the dog but do not overly fuss him, try to act as normal as possible and be calm. It is very important, should you have to take your dog out for whatever reason to do so before tea time and always but always keep him on his lead as it's amazing how many dogs run away, become disorientated and can be lost due to fear. With other pets, try to keep them indoors as yet again, they can become very disorientated due fear as well as being at risk from your not so animal friendly neds! If think your dog is going to take it really hard why not book a caravan holiday for a few days, somewhere nice in the country, maybe a park that doesn't have a lot of children on site, this way the chances are that you won't hear a firework for miles. Alternatively, visit your vet now with a view to getting some help for your pet. I for one don't like sedatives but if your pet is going to be in severe distress then it has to be done. However, if possible find out if your veterinary practice has a Homeopathic Vet, a vet that specializes in alternative medicine as there are a lot of natural remedies available. Or you could visit your local health food shop and ask they're advice as to what to give your pets on the nights leading up to the 5th. One thing that you could try is Bach's Flowers Rescue Remedy. 5 drops in the dogs water, or a couple of drops on your pets favourite treat, starting as soon as possible. Just follow the instructions on the packet. Unfortunately, sometimes we forget that our pet does have a problem with fireworks so it maybe helpful to try to desensitize your pet ready for next year. There are now tapes available, cds etc that you can use. What I would suggest is prevention is better than cure so I would start a desensitizing program from this moment on by doing normal house hold things like closing cupboard and normal doors a little louder than normal, play music with the odd crash and banging in it whilst acting normal. This may sound cruel or even excessive but obviously you build it up over time, don't just subject your poor pet to the whole exercise on one go. Should your pet be over frightened or of a serious nervous disposition, do take it very slowly to begin with, contact the vet for some advice on how to proceed as the last thing you want to do is make your pet totally neurotic. The main thing is, don't put off a desensitization programme just because it's another year before you have to worry about it again as the sooner you start to deal with the problem, the sooner your pet may be able to lead a relatively normal life. As I've said, it's important to try to act normally, give off the impression that there's nothing to worry about after all, if your pet picks up that you are worried then obviously he's going to panic so the golden rule is to give off the impression that all is well, nothing to worry about and be calm. If you feel your pet still won't be able to cope, get some form off help now whether it be sedatives or the natural alternative. I do hope that you can help your pet cope leading to him being cured by the New Year and October onwards next year.

See below in a sec. Just recieved this and think it is good. Germaine x