Our Guide to a Pet Friendly Diwali 2022

Diwali 2022 is set to be bigger than ever in New Zealand this year. Fireworks and gatherings were stopped in the last two years due to Covid-19, but this year the Diwali fireworks are back and celebrations are already kicking off all over the country.

As pet parents, we all know that cats, dogs and fireworks aren’t a good mix. Beautiful as those bright lights and bangs are to us, they’re terrifying to our fur friends. Other Diwali-related items like Rangoli coloured powders, sweets, and lanterns can also be dangerous to our pets.

But that doesn’t mean your pet can’t enjoy this special occasion with you. Here’s our guide to having a pet friendly Diwali.

Cats, dogs and fireworks this Diwali 2022

Pets are terrified of fireworks for several reasons. Firstly, they’re noisy. Animals have far better hearing than we do, so the booms, whistles, and bangs from fireworks are much louder to their ears than to ours.

Secondly, they’re unpredictable. You may know the fireworks are happening because of Diwali, but your animals won’t. The noise may come during different intervals and from different directions, which is understandably frightening to pets.

If your pet is close enough to the Diwali fireworks display, they may also be alarmed by the smell. Most fireworks use black powder – a mix of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulphur – and an unnatural, unfamiliar smell like this will further increase their anxiety.

All of this adds to one message in your pet’s brain: escape!

Every year, rescue organisations field loads of calls of pets going missing during fireworks festivals like Diwali 2022. Fireworks trigger your dog or cat’s fight-or-flight response. Whether it’s squirming underneath a fence or trying to scale a wall, they’ll do whatever they can to get as far away from the noise as possible – sometimes injuring themselves in the process.

How to protect them from Diwali fireworks

So, how do you make sure your animal is safe during the Diwali fireworks? The first best solve, if possible, is to ensure they’re somewhere else when it’s happening. Never take your pet to a fireworks festival, and if it’s close to your home consider dropping them off at a familiar human’s house that’s further away.

If you can’t move your animal, create a calm environment at home for them ahead of time and try to soundproof it as much as possible. Close and cover windows, curtains and blinds to help muffle the fireworks noise and flashes. When it comes to cats, dogs and fireworks, many pets will want to hide inside places like cupboards, so make sure those are accessible to them (and safe on the inside) too.

For more info on cats, dogs and fireworks, read our guide called “Fireworks, pets and keeping them safe.”

Diwali 2022 treats and pets

We all love the special food and sweets that come with Diwali: kaju barfi, chakli, coconut Barfi, rasmalai, sandesh, phirni, dahi bhalla, and sev-chivda. Unfortunately, these treats are all high in sugar, salt and fat and aren’t good for your fur kids to eat.

Some treats can even be dangerous for them. Sweets that contain chocolate, xylitol, grapes or raisins for instance, should be kept well away from your pet. Read our list of things that can poison your pet to ensure you’re clued up on what they can and can’t eat.

With that said, there are plenty of pet-friendly Diwali snacks you can make that your furball can partake in. Just check out these recipes below:

• 3 delicious DIY Diwali sweets for your pets
• DIY treats that you can enjoy with your dawgie this Diwali

Other pet-friendly Diwali 2022 tips

Apart from keeping them away from the Diwali fireworks and food hazards, here are some other ways you can make this Diwali 2022 pet-friendly:

• Diwali is a festival where you may have many friends and family members visiting your home. This change of pace can be scary for your pet. Never force them to greet or interact with humans they don’t know. If possible, create a safe space for them away from guests so that they can hide and relax when they need to.
• Beautiful as they are, the powder used to make decorative Diwali Rangoli patterns contain chemicals that could be harmful to your pets.  Wherever possible, opt for all-natural powders like those made from rice flour. If you’re making your Rangoli patterns with flower petals, ensure not to include daffodil, iris, tulip, azalea or hyacinth petals as they’re all toxic to pets. Read more about poisonous plants for dogs and cats.
• Ensure you keep them away from burnt crackers, lanterns or decorations that they could ingest. Cat and dog choking claims are one of PD Insurance’s most common claim types each year, so be extra vigilant with keeping any choking hazards well away from your pets.

It’s a festival for dogs, too

Our biggest Diwali 2022 tip? Remember that, traditionally, it includes dogs! In Nepal and many parts of India, Hindus celebrate a five-day lights festival similar to Diwali called Tihar. The festival’s second day is called Kukur Tihar and is a special celebration for man’s best friend – the dog.

People honour dogs by decorating them with flowers, applying sandalwood paste on their foreheads, offering prayers and feeding them treats. Dogs are sacred animals in Hinduism, and it’s considered a huge sin to harm or kill a dog. Read this ‘Darling Dogs and Covetous Cats: Sacred Animals in Hinduism‘ for more information.

Maybe this Diwali could be a time to volunteer at your local animal shelter, donate to an animal charity, or put out food and water for any stray dogs in your neighbourhood?

The best gift this Diwali 2022

Festivals like Diwali 2022 remind us that our animals can be vulnerable to accidents (and that cats, dogs and fireworks don’t mix!) Pet insurance will offer you the peace of mind knowing you don’t have to weigh up giving them the absolutely best care against how much it costs.

PD Insurance NZ is an award-winning brand that offers every new customer one or more months of insurance cover for free (at the time of writing). Plus, our month-to-month payment option doesn’t have any lock-in contracts.

The younger your pet is when you start the cover the less likely they’ll have any pre-existing conditions. This means you’ll enjoy broader coverage! Perhaps time to get a quote?