Classic FM to play calming music for anxious pets during bonfire night

Classic FM will be broadcasting two programmes to help pets stay calm and relaxed.

Classic FM will be playing soothing and relaxing music on Bonfire Night to help pets stay relaxed during fireworks.

The programmes will be hosted by Charlotte Hawkins and there will also be a playlist available on home speakers via Global Player.

There will be two broadcasts on Saturday November 4 and Sunday November 5.

Join @CharlotteHawkns for ‘Pet Classics’, our special programmes to calm pets during fireworks season with tips and advice from @RSPCA_official.

We hope you, and all furry and feathered friends (like Freddie here 🐕) can join us on 4 and 5 November at 5pm. pic.twitter.com/O9vr5TcxEn

— Classic FM (@ClassicFM) November 3, 2023

Classic FM’s Pet Classics has been running for six years and Hawkins said: “It’s an honour to host Classic FM’s Pet Classics again this year. It is such a special and heart-warming programme, with the most wonderful community of listeners. We know the positive effects that classical music has on humans and pets alike, especially during stressful and challenging times, so I have the perfect selection of calming music lined up to settle and soothe even the most anxious listener.

“Everyone is welcome to my radio sanctuary – from the furry to the feathered – and I look forward to all the photos and videos of pets chilling out with me and enjoying the music.”

The station says that “while fireworks displays are spectacular, for our furry, scaly and feathered friends, they can be stressful and often traumatic” and that the shows are designed to “help pets, and their owners, stay calm and relaxed.”

If your pets find fireworks scary, put on our Pet Classics @GlobalPlayer playlist for them at any time. 🐾

Just tell Alexa to 🗣️ ‘ask Global Player to play the Pet Classics playlist’. pic.twitter.com/HAFi3or7Yz

— Classic FM (@ClassicFM) November 2, 2023

The programmes are supported by the RSPCA and will be broadcast from 6pm to 10pm in both Friday and Saturday night.

Along with the relaxing music, the shows will also feature advice and tips from the RSPCA on how to keep animals calm during firework season.

Much of the music will be pet-related, such as Elgar’s last work which was named after his dog Mina, and from animal-loving composers such as Debussy, who had several cats, and Wagner, whose pets included a Newfoundland called Russ and a King Charles Spaniel called Peps.

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