My poor cat is hiding in a closet. There is a fireworks display on outside. Any ideas of how

[applegrove]

I can make the cat feel better? He looks so sad in there on the floor of the closet. I've already tried to hug him...he didn't go for that.

[Ikonoklast]

1. Leave him be.

If he feels safer hiding, just let him come out after it's all over.

Don't force the issue, it won't help.

[Kali]

3. exactly

act normal - the more you freak out, the more kitty will be reinforced and the more that will freak you out and so on, let him hide and when its over give him the usual attention.

[david13]

2. That's it. If he does not snap out of it some good time after it is

over and done with, say a day or two, then you will need to hold him and reassure him and give him a good rub down all over, which will get him back to feeling safe again.
I had to do that with my cat after the big earthquake. He was freaked, or frozen for about 2 days, and I finally rubbed him down, a real massage, and poof, he woke back up and stretched, and that was it. Before that he couldn't move. He just stared straight ahead. He was thinking it was the end of the world.
Fireworks should take less than 2 days. Maybe a few hours.
dc

[applegrove]

4. He's okay though now he's all over me. Fireworks are over. I was surprised because

though he was afraid of an approaching hurricane a few years ago he got over it as soon as the windows were closed. He wasn't worried at all as the hurricane blew all around us.