What’s not to love about the Fourth of July? Patriotic parades, grilling hotdogs on the barbecue, spending time with friends and of course, fireworks. But to our pets, the holiday may seem more like the upcoming science fiction movie, Independence Day, where humans once againface the end of the world. It’s up to you to keep your cat safe on Independence Day and out of claws of hostile aliens.

With all the chaos occurring over the holiday weekend, it shouldn’t be surprising that more pets disappear over the July 4th weekend than any other time of year, even Halloween. Loud noises from fireworks may sound like thunder or an explosion to terrified pets—so frightening they bolt from the yard to escape the perceived threat. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, July 5 is the busiest day of the year for animal shelters. Animal shelters across the country actually report a 30 percent increase in lost pets reported between July 4 and July 6. Sadly, only 14 percent of those pets ever return to their families.

In addition to explosions and party chaos, wandering pets can fall prey to malicious lowlife. Eight years ago, Zeki, a kitten from Dallas, almost became one of those tragic statistics. Abandoned when her family moved away, she was captured on July 4th by some wacko and mutilated with a hunting knife. Zeki survived and was rescued and eventually found a loving home, but many panicked pets fleeing the flashes and kabooms disappear without a trace.

Regardless of your Independence Day plans, keep your pets safe and happy by taking seven simple precautions:

*Make sure pets wear ID, even indoor pets. However, collars and tags can become lost. In addition to name tags, microchip your cat and keep your contact information current with the microchip registry. In the event your cat and his tags go AWOL, a microchip will give him his last best hope of returning home.
*Before the weekend arrives, bring your outside cats inside so they can’t run away in a panic.
* During parties and firework displays, put cats in a calm a bathroom or other escape-proof room. A frightened cat allowed to wander the house may dart out of the door to escape the pandemonium. Set out food and water bowls, litter box and favorite toys. Put a “Do Not Enter” sign on the door to prevent guests from accidentally releasing the kraken (kitty.) Keep pets inside the entire weekend just to be safe.
*Use pheromone products that mimic the cat’s own friendly pheromones. Synthetic pheromones such as Comfort Zone® with Feliway®, Comfort Zone® with Feliway® Multicat, and Sentry Calming Spray for Cats and the Sentry Calming Collar may help your cat cope more effectively with loud noises, house guests and other stressful situations.
* Play soothing music, white noise or cat videos to mask the sound of fireworks. Even better, offer music specifically composed or arranged to calm kitties such as Music For Cats or Through a Cat’s Ear. Start the sound therapy before the guests arrive or the fireworks start.
*Calming vests. Swaddling apparel such as a Thundershirt or CalmCat shirt may reduce anxiety in cats.
*Take action immediately if your cat goes missing. As soon as you realize your cat can’t be found, contact your local animal control facility and your cat’s microchip registry. Put up lost cat flyers. Always visit the animal shelter and eyeball all the cats. The person taking your report may not make the connection between your cat and your description of your cat.