With autumn comes shorter days and longer nights, meaning your normal evening walk may become suddenly very dark!
As the clocks also go back this month, it’s time to start getting prepared for the darker days to come.
Each year, vet charity PDSA treats thousands of pets who have been involved in road traffic accidents. The charity’s autumn danger warning comes at the time of year when pets are most at risk of being involved in a car accident. Any pet involved in a road traffic accident should be checked by a vet straight away.
Keeping safe during darker days
There are a few things owners can begin to do now, in order to get in a habit of doing so when the clocks go back. Here are some of PDSA’s top tips for keeping dogs, cats and small pets safe and happy with less daylight hours ahead.
For dog owners:
- Your normal evening walk may become suddenly very dark! Avoid getting caught out by ensuring that you’rewearing reflective, as well as keeping your dog easily seen too. You can add reflective lights on their collar, harness or lead – that way your dog can always be seen.
- It’s also handy for owners to wear light coloured or reflective clothing too, that way both your dog and you will be seen better in the dark.
- You may also want to consider taking a torch and a fully charged phone with you on walkies to help keep you safe during dark nights. It is especially handy if your usual walking route has low lit areas.
- The easiest way to keep your pooch safe while out walking in the dark, especially near roads, is to use a lead, and keep them on the lead for the entirety of the walk, that way they are kept close by.
- If you let your dog off the lead to run around, we’d recommend only doing so in a secure, enclosed area where they can’t run onto nearby roads or become disorientated and lost.
- It’s also vital and a legal requirement that, should the worst happen, and you get separated, your dog wears a collar and tag when out and about, and that their microchip details are up to date.
- If you aren’t keen on heading out for dark walks, it’s important to make sure your dog is entertained at home to make up for missing out on their stroll. You can play games, provide them with enrichment toys or slow feeders to help keep their brains and bodies active at home.
- Although your dog should always be safely on the lead when you’re near a road, it’s a good idea to teach them an emergency command such as ‘stop’, so you can get them to stop immediately if they are faced with a dangerous situation.
- Your dog won’t automatically know that they need to stop and wait at curb until it’s safe to cross – but you can help them to learn some road sense with simple commands such as ‘sit’ and ‘wait’. You’ll always need to keep your dog under close control to keep them safe around roads, but these commands can help make it easier.
- For dark walks, it’s always a good idea to plan your route carefully, especially if it involves roads. You may want to avoid those roads without pavements, so you’ve got a safer route.
For cat owners:
- It’s recommended to make sure that your cat is safe and home before it gets dark, and keep them inside overnight, where they’ll remain warm and safe.
- Some cat flaps have the ability to add a timer on, so will lock and re-open at set times, this can help with keeping your cat home during the dark hours.
- It’s also vital and now a legal requirement that, should the worst happen, ensure your cat has a microchip, and that their microchip details are kept up to date.
- Keeping them active indoors will be essential to make up for any lost time they’d usually be outside. Be sure to play some rewarding games, provide them with enrichment toys or slow feeders to help keep their brains and bodies active at home.
- If you live in a busy area with lots of traffic, you could consider only letting your cat out into a secure garden or safe outdoor area, such as a cat-patio (catio), so they can’t wander onto the road.
For small pet owners who live outside:
- Remember to get your torch at the ready to check on small pets who may be living in outdoor enclosures, as with less daylight hours it’s harder to see how your small pets are doing. So be sure to head out with some good lighting from a torch to check up on your small pets.
For more advice on keeping pets safe this autumn, head to PDSA’s website: www.pdsa.org.uk
PDSA is the vet charity for pets in need, providing a vital service for pets across the UK whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs for their sick and injured pets. For many vulnerable pets, PDSA is there to help when there is nowhere else for their owners to turn. Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery helps us reach even more pet owners with vital advice and information.
