Is It Normal For A Cat To Be Still Scared Of Fireworks 30-40 Minutes After They Went Off?

[purplecats]

This is my cat, Teddy's second Fourth Of July. He was only 3-4 weeks old when his first one happened, so he probably doesn't remember. I wasn't able to be with him while the fireworks were going off, but I came home around 5 minutes after they ended. I found him shivering in the corner between the wall and litter box. A couple minutes later he ran under my computer desk near my feet, but when he ran over he was low to the ground. It's been around 30 minutes since they have ended but he hasn't moved away from my feet. His eyes are still wide, and he shakes now and then. Anyway, I was wondering if this is normal? I put plenty of hiding spots for him to use, but he didn't use any. I hate to see him this freighted. I was wondering if any of you have experienced it, and how you deal with a cat like mine. I read a couple websites, but they didn't seem to be very helpful. Perhaps I could ask his vet for medication for the next Fourth Of July? I'm definitely staying with him next year though. (Also I must mention my house is right by where my town does fireworks, so it is pretty loud.) Thank you for reading

 

[5starcathotel]

To be honest, I really have no idea what to do with my crew (4!) at this time of year....July 4th is unique.

All 4 of them were ferals in my yard, who every two weeks had to deal with landscapers and their infernal noise makers ( leaf-blowers).

Even now that they are indoor-only cats, 2 (or 10) years later, nothing scares them so much as the sound of a leaf-blower. Every 2 weeks, they seek shelter on the top of the kitchen cabinets, or in the back of a closet.

And then comes the 4th of July.....

 

[purplecats]

To be honest, I really have no idea what to do with my crew (4!) at this time of year....July 4th is unique.

All 4 of them were ferals in my yard, who every two weeks had to deal with landscapers and their infernal noise makers ( leaf-blowers).

Even now that they are indoor-only cats, 2 (or 10) years later, nothing scares them so much as the sound of a leaf-blower. Every 2 weeks, they seek shelter on the top of the kitchen cabinets, or in the back of a closet.

And then comes the 4th of July.....

My boy was also feral! A lady in my neighborhood had a bad hoarding problem (most of her cats weren't socialized) I agreed to take one of them in. Teddy is the most timid cat I've ever had, and out of everyone in my family he only can be around my brother and I! I'm guessing like you said, Fourth Of July will be a life-time battle for him (like many other cats.) I suppose, hopefully as the years go on I can find ways to make him more comfortable though!

 

[jcat]

Some cats (or dogs) remain spooked for hours or even days, while others come out of hiding within minutes. Thirty minutes of hiding is nothing.

 

[purplecats]

Some cats (or dogs) remain spooked for hours or even days, while others come out of hiding within minutes. Thirty minutes of hiding is nothing.

It's been a little over an hour now, and he's still pretty spooked. What makes it worse is that my neighbors decided to start setting off fireworks..which set him back even more. I realize some animals are more scared than my cat, but that still doesn't make me feel better. Teddy and I have been working on his social skills for a while now, and I'd hate to see it all get ruined because of this.

 

[losna]

Yeah, I hate the 4th of July for this reason, it scares all 3 of my cats, and there is nothing to be done about it. We don't go out for the fireworks, and stay home to comfort them as best we can. They remain jumpy for a day or two.

Except Belit. A few belly rubs and she forgets everything as though it never happened.

 

[Tobermory]

Sadly, Teddy’s reaction is normal. Hopefully, he’ll be back to normal soon. The fireworks just started here. I hate to see the girls so scared. Lily is particularly frightened of loud noises, but the other two are upset, too. The 4th of July is very hard on my crew. There aren’t supposed to be any fireworks in the hills because of the fire danger. The city posts huge signs on all the streets leading up here, but people just ignore them. Makes me crazy.

 

[sabrinah]

Fireworks suck. California has had a habit of catching on fire lately, yet people around here are still setting off fireworks when we're surrounded by very flammable forest on all sides. Only 30 minutes- 1 hour of hiding is a miracle in my book. My dog will be hiding in my closet all night, despite the fact that most of the fireworks ended 45 minutes ago. A Thundershirt, rescue remedy, and calming music help but they don't cure it. My cat will spend the entire night hiding under the blankets. This year she refused to eat her treat with rescue remedy on it because some kids had noisy sparklers near the house earlier than usual, so I had to force a couple drops in her mouth.

 

[BonitaBaby]

Almost a week before the 4th of July, someone set off extremely loud fireworks that scared my cat off me. She almost scratched me deeply. She hid under the bed. In my area, people buy fireworks and light them leading up to the 4th. Also, they light them all evening on the 4th, starting before it's even dark all the way until late at night. Then, they light some after the 4th too. =/

I don't remember how my cat reacted in the previous few years. I might have been out, but this year, I stayed in and thought she'd run and hide under the bed, but instead she seemed to react based on my reaction, which was to behave like everything was normal. She stayed on top of my bed the whole time and seemed OK.