New Year’s Eve Pet Safety: Keeping Dogs and Cats Calm

Last updated: December 2025

How common is fireworks fear in dogs and cats?

In a University of Bristol study of dog owners, Emily Blackwell and colleagues found that only about a quarter of 3,897 owners described their dog as “fearful” of noises on a general survey. But when a subset of 383 owners was interviewed in detail, almost half (49%) reported at least one clear sign of fear when their dog heard noises such as fireworks, thunder or gunshots. Fireworks were the noise owners named most often.

Later work found similar numbers. In Stefanie Riemer’s 2019 survey of 1,225 dogs, published in PLOS One, 52% were at least partly affected by firework fears, and almost one-third received the highest severity score. Riemer also found that fear usually starts young, with a median age of onset of one year, and that it can improve or get worse over time.

Cats are affected too, though they show it differently. The New Zealand survey by Dale and colleagues found that dogs more often showed active fear behaviors, while cats were more likely to hide and cower. A cat who spends New Year’s Eve wedged behind the dryer is not being dramatic. That is what fear looks like in a cat.

What should you watch for? A 2020 study in Scientific Reports by Sarah Gähwiler and colleagues filmed 36 dogs during real New Year’s Eve fireworks and again on a quiet night. During fireworks, the dogs held their ears farther back, moved around more and panted more. Some also vocalized, blinked more or hid. Lip licking and yawning did not change, so don’t wait for those classic “stress signals” before you act.

Why do more pets go missing on fireworks nights?

A frightened animal’s first instinct is often to get away from the noise, and New Year’s Eve stacks the odds against you. The bangs are sudden and unpredictable, the house may be full of guests, and doors open and close all evening. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) says plainly that pets are more likely to go missing on New Year’s Eve because sudden loud noises can cause them to panic and escape.

The same pattern shows up around every fireworks holiday. We wrote about the summer version in why more pets go missing after the Fourth of July, and New Year’s Eve has an extra twist: it is dark, often cold, and many people are out late or asleep when a pet slips out.

Fear can also push pets to do things they would never try on a calm night. Dr. Audrey Cook of the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences notes that dogs confined to a crate or small room may hurt themselves trying to escape the noise, while dogs who are not confined may run off or hide.

The good news is that ID works when it is current. In a study of 53 U.S. shelters led by Linda Lord of Ohio State University, stray dogs with microchips went home 52.2% of the time, compared with 21.9% for all stray dogs. For cats, the gap was 38.5% versus 1.8%. But only 58.1% of the chips that shelters looked up were actually registered in a database, and the top reason owners could not be found was a wrong or disconnected phone number.

What should you do hour by hour on New Year’s Eve?

Most of the work happens before the first bang. Use this timeline as a checklist and adjust it to your area, since neighborhood fireworks often start well before midnight and can continue for an hour or more after.

In Riemer’s 2019 survey, almost three-quarters of fearful dogs had recovered by the next morning. Recovery took up to a day for 10%, up to a week for 12%, and several weeks or even months for more than 3%. If your dog is still not eating, hiding or refusing walks a few days later, call your vet.

How do you set up a safe room and mask the noise?

A safe room is simply the quietest, most enclosed space in your home, set up ahead of time so your pet can ride out the night there. AAHA recommends a quiet, cozy space away from the action, with your pet’s favorite bed or blanket, a noise machine or soft music to muffle outside sounds, and a food-puzzle toy as a distraction.

For most homes that means an interior bedroom, a large walk-in closet, a laundry room or a bathroom, ideally on the side of the house farthest from the street. Basements can work well for dogs who already like being down there. Here is how to set it up:

• Close the windows and draw the curtains or blinds to block both sound and flashes of light. Dr. Cook suggests leaving the lights on so the flashes are less noticeable.
• Bring in your pet’s own bed, a worn T-shirt or blanket that smells like you, and a bowl of water.
• For cats, add a litter box and a hiding spot such as a covered bed, a cardboard box on its side or a cleared-out cupboard. Cats feel safest when they can get up high or out of sight.
• For dogs, leave a crate door open if your dog already loves their crate as a den, but don’t lock a panicking dog inside. Dr. Cook warns that dogs confined to a crate may hurt themselves trying to escape the noise.
• Put a chew, a lick mat or a stuffed food toy in the room so there is something pleasant to do.

Next comes sound masking. The idea is to blur the sharp edges of each bang with steady, familiar sound. A white noise machine, a fan, a TV or calm music all work. Start the sound in the late afternoon at a normal volume, before any fireworks begin, so it becomes part of the background rather than a new signal that something is about to happen. Keep it steady. Cranking the volume up and down with each burst can be more startling than the fireworks themselves.

Practice helps. If you still have a few hours, spend some of them in the room with your pet, offering treats, a game or a gentle brushing so they connect the space with good things. Pets who already have a “den” they choose on their own usually do better than pets who are shut in a strange room for the first time at 11:55 p.m. Check our guides to the best dog calming aids and the best cat calming aids if you want to add a wrap, a diffuser or a calming chew to the room.

Finally, think about how you act. Should you comfort a scared pet? Older advice said no, and the 2010 New Zealand survey did link comforting to owner reports of fear getting worse over time. Riemer’s 2020 study of treatments, however, found that the “interaction” approach of petting and talking was not tied to improvement or decline, while giving food, chews and play during fireworks was associated with fear getting better. The practical middle ground: let your pet come to you, stay calm and matter-of-fact, offer a treat or a game after loud bangs, and never scold or drag a hiding cat out of their spot.

Should you ask your vet about medication like Sileo?

For pets who panic, a calm room may not be enough, and that is when it is time to talk to your veterinarian. Do it before the holiday, not at 10 p.m. on December 31. AAHA advises consulting your vet in advance about sedatives or anti-anxiety medications for extreme anxiety.

One option for dogs is Sileo, a dexmedetomidine gel that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved in 2015 for the treatment of noise aversion in dogs. It is prescription-only and is applied between the dog’s cheek and gum rather than swallowed. The label says the first dose should go in about 30 to 60 minutes before the expected noise, or as soon as the dog shows the first signs of fear. Sileo is approved for dogs only, so cat owners should ask their vet which options fit their cat. Your vet may also suggest other medications depending on your pet’s health and history.

“There are a lot of drugs that can safely be given by owners in the home environment. It would be worthwhile, however, to try a dose at home on a routine weekend to assess the effect of the drugs.”

Dr. Audrey Cook, professor, Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS Pet Talk)

What actually works? Riemer’s 2020 survey in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior asked 1,225 owners which treatments they had tried and whether they helped.

Among prescription drugs, owners reported success rates of 74% for Sileo and 91% for alprazolam. These are owner reports, not a controlled trial, and Riemer notes the 27% to 35% range for supplements is about what a placebo effect would predict.

Which New Year’s party foods and decorations are dangerous for pets?

A house party puts a lot of tempting things at nose height. AAHA lists alcohol, chocolate, xylitol-containing baked goods, grapes, onions and garlic as toxic to pets, and warns that confetti, tinsel and balloons can cause an intestinal blockage if swallowed.

ASPCApro, the ASPCA’s resource site for veterinary teams, notes that alcoholic drinks made with milk or cream are especially attractive to pets. It also says the active ingredient in glow sticks, dibutyl phthalate, is not considered highly toxic, but its bitter taste causes a dramatic reaction. Dr. Cook adds that the biggest firework danger is direct contact, when a pet chews an unlit firework, grabs a lit one or touches hot debris afterward. If your pet eats something on this list, call your veterinarian or an animal poison control line right away.

How do you keep pets from slipping out when guests arrive?

Every doorbell and every “Happy New Year!” on the front step is a chance for a scared pet to bolt. AAHA recommends making sure doors and windows are securely closed and asking guests to be mindful when entering and leaving.

A few simple habits close most of the gaps. Put your pet in the safe room before the first guest arrives, not after the doorbell has already set everyone off. Tape a note on the front and back doors and the gate that says something like “Please keep closed, pets inside.” Assign one person to answer the door.

If your dog already reacts to the doorbell, the problem gets bigger on a party night. Our guide to doorbell anxiety in dogs covers barriers, door routines and training that work just as well on December 31 as they do on October 31.

Leaving to celebrate elsewhere? Leave your pet at home in the safe room rather than bringing them along, check that every exit is shut, and put food and medications away before you go. If your dog needs a potty break during the evening, keep them on a leash even in a fenced yard. A firework going off nearby can send a dog over or under a fence in seconds.

What ID check should you do before midnight?

Take five minutes this afternoon to make sure anyone who finds your pet can reach you fast.

• Tag on the collar. Check that your pet is wearing it, that the engraving is still readable and that the phone number is the one you will answer tonight. Our dog ID tag checklist covers what to include.
• Collar fit. Make sure the collar is snug enough that a panicking dog can’t back out of it. Cats should wear a breakaway collar.
• Microchip registry. Look up your pet’s chip number and confirm the registry has your current phone and address. Lord’s study found that wrong or disconnected phone numbers were the top reason shelters could not find owners.
• Recent photo. Take a clear, current photo of your pet in case you need to make a flyer at 1 a.m.

Tags and chips do different jobs, and you want both. A chip can’t fall off, but it takes a scanner. A tag can be read by anyone on the spot. We explain the difference in microchip vs. smart tag.

A Shiloh’s House Smart Tag adds a layer for nights like this one. It is laser-engraved acrylic with an NFC “Tap Phone Here” back. A finder taps it with a phone, no app needed, and sees your pet’s live profile with one-tap Call, Text and Map, up to three contacts, medical and behavior notes, and a voice message from your family. Before tonight, add a behavior note such as “Afraid of fireworks. May run. Approach slowly and speak softly.”

That profile lives in the free Lohji app, which you can download from the App Store or Google Play. Lohji also turns one photo of your pet into a 3D animated-movie-style character, and it includes seasonal stickers, New Year’s Eve among them, so your pet can still be part of the midnight group chat from the safety of the quiet room.

Still have the tree, lilies and leftover chocolate in the house? Our Christmas pet safety guide covers tree anchoring, tinsel, toxic holiday plants and which foods to lock away until the decorations come down.

Frequently asked questions