Ensuring Your Pet's Safety and Wellbeing During Diwali

To keep your pet safe this Diwali, set up a quiet safe room before dusk, walk and feed them early, keep a tagged collar on, and shut doors and windows. Keep sweets and fried snacks out of reach, and save your vet's number now. Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026.

This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own vet. If your pet shows any warning sign listed below, call a vet at once.

Start preparing at least a week before Diwali. A pet that already has a calm room, a current ID tag and a vet who knows the plan copes far better than one introduced to all three on the night.

Walk your dog in daylight, well before the first crackers, and keep them on a leash and a well-fitted harness or collar. Feed dinner early and take them out to toilet before dusk, so you do not have to open the door once the noise begins. Check the path for cracker remains on the days after Diwali too. A harness is a better choice than a loose collar for dogs that pull or panic, as covered in our guide on dog harness vs collar. Explore our dog harness collection to find a comfortable, adjustable fit for your dog’s daily walks. 

Play music, the TV or a fan in the safe room at a comfortable volume, and keep windows and curtains closed. The aim is to dull the sound, not to drown it out completely. Stay in the room with your dog if they want company, and keep your own behaviour calm.

Stay calm, stay nearby, and let your dog decide whether to hide or come to you. Do not force them out of a hiding spot, do not scold them, and do not make a fuss that adds to the tension. 

They may help some dogs, but the evidence is limited and no product replaces a vet-guided plan. A gradual noise-desensitisation plan, set up weeks ahead with your vet or a behaviourist, is better evidenced than any gadget. For severe fear, only a vet can decide on prescription medicine. If you want to try gear, introduce it at home well before Diwali and watch for stress. Supertails stocks dog ear muffs and a dog calming range. Ask your vet before using any calming supplement or spray.

No. Never give your dog human medicine or leftover tablets to calm them, because the wrong drug or dose can be dangerous. Some sedatives are not suitable for every dog. If your dog has a severe noise fear, book a vet visit before Diwali so a vet can decide whether medicine is suitable and test it ahead of the night.

Keep your cat indoors, give them several hiding places in a quiet room, and close windows, balcony doors and grills. Do not coax a hiding cat out. A frightened cat that squeezes through a gap can be lost within minutes.

• Hiding places. Offer a box, a covered bed or a space under furniture in a room with the windows shut. Let your cat stay where they feel safe.

• Everything in one room. Put food, water and a litter tray in the safe room so your cat never needs to cross the house during the noise.

• Flames. Cats climb. Keep diyas and candles on high, stable surfaces away from curtains, and never leave them lit and unattended.

• Snacks. Onion and garlic are more dangerous to cats than to dogs, and many namkeen, samosas and kachoris contain them.

• Lilies. If you decorate with flowers, avoid lilies. Even a small amount can seriously harm a cat.

• Identification. Make sure your cat wears an ID tag or that their microchip details are up to date.

Our cat calming range has sprays and supplements. The evidence for pheromone and herbal products is limited, so use them to support a quiet room, not instead of one.

Put an ID tag with your phone number on your pet's collar, keep doors and gates shut, and use a leash and harness for every toilet break during the cracker days. If your pet goes missing, start searching and posting within the first hour.

Smart tags and GPS trackers can help you locate a pet, but they depend on battery and network and do not replace an ID tag with your phone number. See our collar tags and trackers for options.

Chocolate, raisins and grapes, onion and garlic, macadamia nuts and sugar-free sweets are the foods that can poison a pet. Rich, fried and sugary mithai can also upset the stomach or trigger a painful gut condition called pancreatitis. The safest rule is to feed only your pet's regular food and regular treats on Diwali.

For a full list of foods to avoid every day, see 8 food items you should never feed your dog. Do not make your pet vomit at home unless a vet tells you to.

Lit diyas and candles are a burn and knock-over risk. Keep them on stable, raised surfaces away from curtains, and never leave them burning unattended. Battery-operated LED diyas are a safer choice in homes with curious pets and have no flame or smoke.

• Tails and whiskers. Wagging tails and curious noses can singe or knock over a diya.

• Marigold. Marigold can be a mild irritant that can cause a mild stomach upset or skin irritation. Do not let your pet chew garlands.

• Lilies. Dangerous to cats. Skip them in cat homes.

• Lights and wires. Keep string lights and extension cords out of reach so pets cannot chew them.

• Rangoli. Since the contents of rangoli are not standard across the market, it is safer to keep your pets away from rangoli. It is also advised to note down the contents of the rangoli packet incase a situation of ingestion of the colors arises, the contents would help your vet in deciding the severity of your pets condition

Move cages to a quiet inner room, away from windows, and keep them covered partly to dull the light and noise. Extra bedding gives rabbits and guinea pigs a place to hide. Birds are especially sensitive to fumes. Non-stick cookware coated with PTFE (Teflon) can give off fumes that can kill pet birds with little warning, so be careful with festive cooking near birds' rooms.

Call a vet immediately if your pet has eaten something toxic, has a burn or an eye or ear injury, or shows breathing trouble, collapse, seizures or repeated vomiting. Do not wait to see if signs appear, because some poisons act hours or days later. Save your own vet's number and the nearest 24-hour clinic now, and check whether they are open on Diwali.

Read our guides on recognising and handling poisoning in dogs, and first aid kit essentials for your pet.

Keep to your pet's normal routine, offer fresh water and their usual food, and give them a quiet space for a few days. Stress can last beyond the night itself. Watch appetite, sleep and behaviour, and speak to your vet if your pet stays withdrawn, keeps trembling or starts new fears. Check walking routes for cracker remains before you step out.

No. Jalebi, gulab jamun, laddu and similar mithai are very sugary and often fried in ghee, which can upset a dog's stomach or trigger pancreatitis. Many also contain raisins, nuts or chocolate, which are toxic. Feed only your dog's regular food and treats on Diwali, and tell guests not to share their plates. If your dog eats something unsafe, call a vet and note what and how much.

Search nearby lanes, parked cars and quiet corners straight away, calling your pet's name calmly. Then post a clear photo, your number and the last place seen on your RWA (Resident Welfare Association) and neighbourhood groups, and tell your vet and nearby clinics. Check with the local animal birth control (ABC) centre, municipal corporation, shelters and police the next day, and put up posters.

Reviewed by: Dr. Anjushree
Dr. Anjushree completed her Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry degree from Bombay Veterinary College in 2022. Following which she worked as a veterinarian in Mumbai for 1.5 years. Post this she did an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and currently works as a category manager for the pharmacy category at Supertails.