In just a few more weeks, it will be New Year’s Eve and Day. Always fun to celebrate and often a special moment when one year rings in the other. We look back and muse about what has happened and are often hopeful again about the New Year.

With New Year’s Eve and Day, a lot of animals also suffer. Many cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals that are outside suffer a lot from fireworks. The loud noises frighten the animals time and time again. It can cause animals to crawl into a corner and spend the day full of stress.

Animals get scared and run away

Sometimes an animal is so scared that it runs away and hides miles away. Sometimes they have trouble finding their way back home. Animal Rescue services are very busy each year. Last year, even more animals than usual panicked and ran away and were wounded by fireworks.

Keep your pet indoors

You can keep cats and dogs inside as much as possible, but when you let your dog out, you will inevitably have to face the confrontation with those who delight in noisy firecrackers. Rabbits don’t exhibit their fear as readily. You can see it when they stamp with their back foot. That is an indication that they feel danger and are afraid. Restless moving back and forth in their cages is also a sign that the firecrackers are bothering them. If you can put your rabbit in the house, do so.

Don’t put horses inside

Horses are by nature animals that flee. If you put them in the stable when there are a lot of firecrackers outside, they can’t get away and that produces extra stress. Many horse owners leave the horses to pasture and stay with the horses around midnight.

Use the MIR-Method for animals’ fear of fireworks

To ensure that your animal is less fearful of fireworks, you can use the MIR-Method. It will be less skittish and the animal will be able deal with New Year’s Eve and Day better.

Instructions
How does it work? You stroke the animal while saying the 9 steps. You start doing this about 1 week before New Year’s Eve and Day. You always do all 9 steps because the steps work together. What your pet will especially help are steps 4: “Clear meridians” and 7: “Fulfill basic needs”.

Step 4: “Clear meridians” helps your pet to unblock the meridians. Animals also have meridians and when fireworks frighten them, some of the meridians become blocked. When you do the 9 steps, you keep the meridians “flowing” and the fear will not accumulate.

Step 7: “Fulfill basic needs” makes sure that your animal is strengthened in its basic needs for Safety and Protection. This keeps them calmer and they won’t become so easily frightened again.

Note: always do all 9 steps!

There is a catch

If you wish to treat your pet with the MIR-Method, it is of utmost importance that you do the MIR-Method yourself! Animals react to the adults around them. If you or your partner is afraid of fireworks, your pet will react to that fear as well. If you or your partner is very concerned about the animal, it will react to you or your partner’s worries. So: treat your pet with the 9 steps of the MIR-Method and then immediately afterward, treat yourself. Your partner can do it at some other time during the day. Be sure to do this twice a day.

For a complete explanation of the MIR-Method, see the video on the homepage.

I’m wishing you a carefree New Year’s celebration!

Have you already noticed that the MIR-Method helped your pet deal with loud noises? Let me know below!

Mireille Mettes

P.S. Will you help spread the MIR-Method? You would do me a big favor by forwarding this article to other people! Feel free to post it to your Facebook page or send it via e-mail, Twitter or Linked-In! Use the icons on the left-hand side or below! Thank you!

P.S. Not familiar with the MIR-Method yet? Please go to the homepage. You can watch the video there and also the instruction video. Sign up for our newsletter and 6 weeks of coaching e-mails for extra support!