random poll

[ratcreature]

Poll #5487 your pets opinion on fireworks

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 22

View Respondents

Are your pets freaked out by the New Year's Eve fireworks noises?

View Answers

Yes.
10 (45.5%)

No.
8 (36.4%)

Your radio buttons oppress me.
4 (18.2%)

My rats don't mind the fireworks. In general all of my rats have always been very zen about any kind of noise outside, but very easily startled by sudden noises inside. So outside there can be shouting, sirens, fireworks, and they don't care, but if I drop something for example, they run and hide.

Comments

[draigwen]

I've had cats and dog that are bothered, but none of my rats or rabbits seem to be bothered (and I don't think the hamster is either - but it's hard to tell since she's always hiding anyway). We've had rats who hate the crinkle of carrier bags in the past, and the rabbits are more likely to run away if they hear you walking towards them than by bangs or sudden noises.

[ratcreature]

My rats aren't bothered by all loud indoor noises either. For example they don't mind the vacuum cleaner noise.

[draigwen]

Yeah, mine aren't either. The rabbits are terrified of the vacuum cleaner though - it's a surefire way of getting them to run into their hutch!

[ratcreature]

I once tried to make the cage cleaning faster by vacuuming the spilled litter, food and other crap that wasn't caught by the newspaper layer, rather than sweeping it before the wiping, and the stupid rats tried to run towards the nozzle. I mean, I had it on low power, but still. I went back to the tedious method to avoid risking injury to incautious rats.

[brownbetty]

My 'no' should be understood in the context of “not since they went deaf.” Hearing dogs hate them and one of my dogs nearly clawed through a interior door, once.

[ratcreature]

I wonder why it bothers dogs so much. Don't they trust that they are safe indoors when the noise is outside?

[brownbetty]

Well, I think fireworks are generalized enough it's a bit hard to tell where the noise is coming from, maybe?

But also, the freaking out really happens if they're home alone when there's fireworks. It's not 'safe indoors', it's 'safe with people.'

[kiratael]

I don't recall the dog having any strong reactions, but 1) she is going deaf and 2) Fireworks are banned within city limits. Some idiots still set them off, but I have no idea if the amount of noise generated is the same as in non-banned places.

The cats are very 'Not in my house? Not my problem.'

[ratcreature]

Here fireworks for regular people (rather than event ones) are only allowed on New Year's Eve, but during that time there is quite a lot of it, though it has been getting less popular compared to when I was a kid. Still, from about the time it gets dark around four in the afternoon, to the next morning, there is pretty much constant fireworks noise here, with a peak around midnight of course.

[derryderrydown]

Poppy's deaf so doesn't even know there are noises (although she likes the flashy lights). Spice is a bit wide-eyed but not enough so to actually bother moving.

[ratcreature]

I guess from a safe indoor position fireworks make a nice change of scenery for window watching cats.

[lilacsigil]

Total fire ban here, so no fireworks!

[ratcreature]

Yeah, I suppose fireworks are a really bad idea when it's dry with a high fire risk. Here they have bans in areas that have preserved their historical tradition of thatched roofs.

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

The dogs get nervous, and clingy. But only if someone's setting them off on our street and it's really loud.

[ratcreature]

When my rats feel insecure they try to hide to safe themselves. I don't think rats do clingy....

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well, with the dogs, if you sit down, they have to be in your lap. Both 20 pound dogs, at the same time. If you get up, they have to follow you. Even into the bathroom. Both of them.