I dread it because of the noise at night; not because I'm afraid of all the booming--I'm really not, never have been--but Buddah usually is. During his first July 4th he ran and hid under the bed and I felt like I needed to go hang out nearby where he could see me, just so he wouldn't feel so terrified.Every year since then the sound of firecrackers going off has freaked him out, and he looks for someplace to wait it out. I check on him, but mostly I just let him know nothing bad is going to happen, then I back off. Hovering was okay when he was a kitten, but since then, I figured he needed to see me walk away like it was no big deal, so that he would understand that it really is no big deal.
Doods, tonight when all the noise started, he didn't run. He's not happy, but he's not hiding. He's sitting here on top of his tall scratching post, and he looks annoyed, but he's out here.
It only took 8 years.
I have to admit, I'm a little bit proud of him, and the crunchy treats we got as a reward for bravery only have a little to do with that.