Keeping outdoor cats inside the last day of the year

[Antonio65]

The end of the year is near.
Over here, in this crazy country, people use to fire firecrackers and fireworks during the last days of the year, but the highlight of this madness is around midnight of December 31st. Loud bangs start shortly before midnight till at least half an hour later. The sky is lit up by hundreds of fireworks and the air is smoky for a couple of hours.
Needless to say that outdoor animals are scared to death.

I have two outdoor cats who spend most of the time in their cat house, but when the war starts they run away and I don't see them till the next morning and I am really concerned until they come back.
They don't like staying indoors, I tried to take them inside a few times, but they are clearly stressed out and ask to go outside soon.

I would like to keep them inside for an hour or so, but I don't know if this might make them lose their trust in me. One of the two cats is really shy and suspicious.
What would you suggest?

 

[Margot Lane]

Personally I would keep ‘em indoors if I could. I suppose it’s pointless to discuss this w/ neighbors? Where I am, firecrackers are illegal as they start wildfires.…who knows, perhaps possible to petition local gvt? Maybe you could create an indoor “safe space” w a big cardboard box and blankets?

 

[Antonio65]

Personally I would keep ‘em indoors if I could. I suppose it’s pointless to discuss this w/ neighbors? Where I am, firecrackers are illegal as they start wildfires.…who knows, perhaps possible to petition local gvt? Maybe you could create an indoor “safe space” w a big cardboard box and blankets?

Discussing this with my neighbors would be pointless (they would laugh at me) and impossible (they are hundreds). Fireworks and firecrackers are fired in a radius of hundreds of meters.
Only a miracle could make hundreds of people refrain from using them.
Petitions were made at regional level before, but that didn't work either.

Yes, I would like to create a safe and "as quiet as possible" space, but I wonder if this could stress them more than the loud noise itself.

 

[Antonio65]

Where I am, firecrackers are illegal as they start wildfires.…

Can I ask you which civilized country that is?
I know that in some places of the US fireworks are banned, as are in the Netherlands (or part of it).

 

[Margot Lane]

It’s hard as I don’t know your layout/blueprint. Could you create a sort of cardboard tunnel TO the (optional) safe space? I should think any cat stray or not might prefer indoors briefly…on the other hand if this has been the norm for years they might have found their own hidey spaces.

 

[iPappy]

If their safety is in danger, I would keep them inside even just for a few hours. I would just make sure to keep them together at all times so they have each other.

 

[Antonio65]

I'll try that, hopefully it will help.

 

[vansX2]

I'll try that, hopefully it will help.

Perhaps Italy isn't affected with this issue yet. It has been reported on the National News here in the U.S. that "Bird Flu" has infected the Feline species. Recommendations are to keeps Cats indoors and not allowing them to eat raw meat. Just another worry some Cat owners have to deal with.

 

[Antonio65]

Perhaps Italy isn't affected with this issue yet. It has been reported on the National News here in the U.S. that "Bird Flu" has infected the Feline species. Recommendations are to keeps Cats indoors and not allowing them to eat raw meat. Just another worry some Cat owners have to deal with.

Yes, I have read this news, but I'd like to see how they will enforce this.
Anyway, most people are already aware of this report, but they don't trust this kind of news anymore.

 

[fionasmom]

Around here, the restriction of fireworks depends on the part of the city or city that you might live in. All of the foothill areas restrict fireworks, but many areas which are not in wildfire danger do not. Hence, it can sound like a war zone on a normal residential street. I only have one outdoor feral now, having brought in the very old boy who was long over due to come in because he is very docile. The one who is outside will not get within 20 feet of me, even though I care for her, so it is a lost cause. I believe that she has hiding places though and my property contains enough places that she can run if she is afraid including the side door of a garage.

If you can handle your cats, I would bring them inside for the duration of the fireworks. They will not like it, but it won't be forever.

 

[Antonio65]

In the last three days, the most suspicious cat of the outdoor couple started acting weird, she doesn't get close to me anymore.
She's never been a totally friendly cat, it is hard to touch her, but she always comes to my feet and rubs on me in the morning (and only in the morning) when I fill her dish for breakfast.

In these past three days she runs away when I go out to feed them, and only comes back several minutes later. It seems to me she's even eating less, though she seems alright to me.
She is very suspicious, as I wrote before, and she gets easily stressed out and startled at any change in the environment, even the slightest one.
Three days ago I set up a small greenhouse for a few pots of plants, and the greenhouse is close to the cats' house, so I believe this is what is worrying her.

This might deeply affect my ability to get close to her and grab her.
Very bad timing

This is her

 

[fionasmom]

It is certainly not your fault that you wanted a little greenhouse. I have noticed with my outdoor cats though, over the years, that a small change is enough to make them very concerned and even to leave for a while.