If you’re celebrating Bonfire Night, please be mindful of animals – they don’t see the celebrations quite as we do:

· Keep your cat or dog inside with windows, curtains and doors closed, avoid leaving them alone, and let the TV or radio drown out the bangs. Provide your cat with a litter tray if it usually “goes” outdoors – and walk your dog in daylight. Make sure your pet is wearing ID in case of escape.

· Bring rabbits into a quiet room, garage or shed or provide extra bedding, turn the pen to face the house, and cover it with a heavy blanket.

· If you have horses, tell neighbours and anyone else organising a display that you do, so they can set their fireworks off well away from them. If your horse is in the field, make sure it’s safe and not near the firework display area. Check for anything in a stable that may cause injury; again, music can mask sudden noises. Stay with your horse if there are to be fireworks – but don’t risk riding on bonfire night.

· Check the bonfire area before it’s lit - look out for toads, frogs and newts and redirect them to shelter in small piles of leaves and logs. If you find any hibernating hedgehogs, move them to a sheltered area underneath trees or bushes. Keep fireworks away from trees and hedges to protect birds in nest boxes, and don’t pin Catherine wheels onto trees: put them on fence posts or stakes in the ground.

And lastly: if you adamant that you need fireworks to make your party go with a swing, there are many versions of quiet fireworks which might make things easier on your pets and the local wildlife too. Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Tesco and Morrison's are all offering "low-noise" versions of the traditional pyrotechnics, which don't have gunpowder and should avoid the jump-scare.