Welfare Wednesday

Love them or hate them, it's going to be hard to avoid them - we're talking about fireworks of course. Many animals find this a stressful time and we need to do what we can to minimise their distress.

If you have garden bunnies, and you have somewhere you can put them while the bangs and flashes are going off then it may be a good idea. Somewhere like an unused garage or conservatory would be good. Make sure that give you them somewhere to hide, and plenty of toys and forage to distract them. You should not bring outdoor bunnies into a warm house and then put them back out in the cold again as that could be harmful to them, and also bear in mind that if they are not used to the TV and family dog, this may be as stressful as the fireworks, so keep them somewhere quiet and cool.

If they are going to be staying outdoors then you can offer them some protection by putting a thick blanket or duvet over their hutch and run, or turn them to face a wall so that they can not see the flashes, and make sure they have somewhere they can hide and feel safe. Again toys and favourite foods can be a distraction.