Keep your Friends Safe this 4th of July

Upcoming 4th of July Independence Day celebrations can be exciting, fun, and filled with activities.  Don't forget though your feathered and furred friends who may not love all the people and sounds of the celebration.  The pops and bangs of fireworks can be quite unnerving to some of our furred and feathered friends.

The booming sounds of neighborhood fireworks make some of my birds nervous.  The Cockatiels tend to bet a little flighty, and a few tend to get unusually quiet, sitting very still and unsure about all the festivities.  My little rescued Yorkie dog gets nervous and quite yappy at all the loud pops and sizzles and extra family and friends visiting for the holiday.

To ease any anxiety among the birds, I partially or fully cover the cage of any birds that get very upset which tends to make mine feel more protected and they do settle down better.  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 sun room so it's easy to keep visitors out of their room.  If you 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.

A little planning ahead of time for the feathered and furred family members will help make your July 4th event a fun celebration for all.