It is getting really chilly in the mornings, and I almost called in ‘sick’ today because I wanted to sleep in a little bit longer…either that or I didn’t want to take a shower! I also thought of just working from home. But that is definitely a ‘no good’ because the company would rather have my ass in the office. Which is strange because I have “work from home” capability but I have never even used it. It’s supposedly for emergencies, when you can’t come to work like in the case of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 — but even that wasn’t ‘disastrous’ enough. Pfft. So work from home? Asa pa kami. Haha.
Tonight, we’ll be saying goodbye to 2010 and welcoming the new year. Just like everybody else, I like welcoming the new year with a bang, and I used to play with firecrackers when I was growing up. So much fun! But I noticed that our dog wasn’t having the time of her life. She’s scared of the loud noises that won’t seem to stop, especially when the neighbors take out those really noisy firecrackers like pla-pla or sawa. She really freaks out and could not eat. There was even one year when she could not even stand up on her own.
It’s a blessing for dogs to have really good hearing, but this is one day in the year that they probably curse their gift.
In a few hours, all our beloved pets will experience the same stress again. All responsible pet owners should be aware of this and take specific actions to keep Bantay and Muning relaxed and well-rested. So how do we do it?
First, keep them inside the house, especially in the most quiet room. Shut the windows and doors to filter out the noise from the outside. You know how the Chinese advise on keeping windows and doors open on New Year so that good luck with come in? Good luck for us, bad for our pets. 🙁
Make sure your pets have food and drink with them, plus somewhere comfortable to sleep in. Maybe a box with warm blankets. Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) even suggested that you play soothing music for your pets while they are inside the house. Also, when the revelry has died down, take your pet for a walk to relax them if they are still awake. If they were able to fall asleep despite the noise, don’t bother waking them up.
Have a blessed new year, everyone! Keep safe!
