If you are seeing signs of stress or fear and would like some support, the teams at Pets at Home or Vets4Pets, both part of the Pets at Home family, will be able to help.

For most pets, a fearful state usually starts with a watchful phase where they will be unusually alert. If you spot your pet acting this way, it’s best to wait until they’ve started to calm down before you give them affection or distract them with a game. There’s the risk that you could be accidentally rewarding them for being scared if you step in too soon. Create a quiet and safe space If you should accidentally swallow any of the liquid please get immediate medical advice and show the product label. Many Valerian preparations are too potent and can sedate rather than calm. Pet Remedy is low concentration and the diffuser delivers a constant slow release, which is very kind and gentle in its effect on the metabolism. Likewise for the calming sprays and wipes which are water based. It’s possible to help your pet change their behaviour and reduce their fear of loud noises but this takes time – often up to a few months ahead of Bonfire Night.

As a rule, best not to spray directly on a pet. This avoids any association of the spray with the stressful situation. There are many other alternatives, and depending on your pet’s specific situation and the level of their anxiety, a veterinarian may suggest prescription medication for your pet. When looking at medicine that can be prescribed by veterinarians for anxiety, prescription drugs can cause any of the following side effects: altered mental state, shaking or seizures, vomiting, challenges walking, rapid breathing or heart rate, or an unnatural increase in temperature. However, many of these medications have been approved by the FDA and are often considered as a viable option for pets with anxiety, even though their side effects can be potentially quite serious. For rabbits and guinea pigs, it’s best to not bring them inside if they’re not used to it – this could make them more anxious. You should provide them with lots of bedding to hide in and partly cover the hutch in blankets to help muffle the noise. Both pets are sociable animals so should live in pairs or groups of their own kind to be happy, healthy and feel safe in the long term. Try pet calming products Suitable for all mammals showing signs of stress including cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents, ferrets, and horses

This depends how old your puppy is. Puppies are sometimes released by breeders at a very young age (6-8 weeks old) and at this age they are very accepting of change and do not need any sort of calming product at all. As long as the new home is suitable then this, for most puppies, is absolutely the best age to get a puppy, despite what many breeders will say. (All puppies destined to be Guide Dogs for the blind are homed at this age and they develop the best temperament possible). However many breeders like to keep the puppies longer than this and indeed some puppies are, for whatever reason, homed at much greater ages. The older the puppy is (beyond about 7 weeks of age), the more of a stress it is when they move home. If your puppy is over the age of 8 weeks then I would recommend Zylkene as the most natural calming agent for a puppy. If by any chance your puppy is 12 weeks of age or older, then the move will certainly be a stress and Zylkene combined with the Pet Remedy Calming product would be my suggestion.

Best dog calming plug-in at a glance:

You only need a couple of sprays and this will last between 2 and 6 hours depending on the individual pet.

It works by enhancing the production of GABA(Gamma-aminobutyric acid), a chemical produced by the brain, which transmits a calming message to your pet's body. Several years of research and trials have resulted in a unique formula using a low concentration Valerian essential oil, blended with Vetiver, Sweet Basil and Clary Sage. Pet Remedy works alongside the brain’s natural messengers called neuro-transmitters, which work by telling the nerve receiving the message either to calm (via GABA pathway) or get ‘fired up’.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking at some of the signs of anxiety in pets and how they act when they’re feeling stressed. Some situations including separation, phobias, and illness or injury can be common causes of anxiety in cats and dogs. To make it extra clear, here are some signs of stress and anxiety in pets: Pheromone diffusers for anxious pets have received positive testimonies from cat and dog owners. Some even say their pet is entirely different after using a calming plug-in. Studies have shown that pheromone diffusers help calm anxious dogs and cats in certain circumstances. Use the eco-friendly wipe in the same way as you would with the calming spray by gentle rubbing around muzzle, under chin and top of chest of your pet (including horses!). You can use recordings to gradually expose your cat or dog to very low levels of noise that scare them, slowly increasing the volume as they adjust. This allows you to create positive associations by using treats and games to reward them while the sounds are playing.