It’s the time of year when we issue our annual bonfire night hedgehog alert, and a reminder about how you can keep your pets safe when fireworks are being set off!

If you’re planning your own bonfire then please remember that hedgehogs like to sleep in them.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s advice is as follows: if the material to be ignited is stored on open ground in advance of having a bonfire, it’s crucial to dismantle it and move it to another spot just before lighting.

And please make sure your neighbours do the same thing.

If you do find a hedgehog, place it in a high-sided cardboard box with plenty of newspaper and ensure there are air holes in the lid.

Wear garden gloves so as not to get human smells on the hedgehog and to keep him or her calm as hedgehogs are easily stressed, and to protect your hands from the spikes.

Put the box in a safe, quiet place such as a shed or garage well away from the festivities, and once the bonfire is totally dampened down, release the hedgehog under a hedge or a bush.

Hedgehogs are not the only creatures to become stressed by bonfire night celebrations - the RSPCA estimates that 45% of dogs in the UK show signs of fear when they hear fireworks.

Most dogs have acute hearing which exacerbates the problem.

You can help your dog, and any other pets you have in your house, by drawing all the curtains, and providing extra bedding so that your pet can hide under it if necessary, or make a den.

Make sure your pet is confined indoors well in advance of the festivities and ensure all doors, windows and cat flaps are closed.

Ideally your dog should have had an extra long walk that day so that he/she is more tired than usual.

Try not to over-react to changes in your pet’s behaviour and if they want to hide or pace up and down, or whine, let them.

Fussing and fretting over them can create a negative feedback loop.

And never, ever chastise or shout at your pet if he or she is frightened or is misbehaving. It’s far better, and more effective long-term, to praise and reward good behaviour.

And don’t forget the pets you may have outside, such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

As well as providing extra bedding, partially cover their hutch or pen with a blanket but make sure your pet can still look out.

Horses and livestock are also at risk, and there are distressing reports every year of scared animals running into fences in an attempt to escape from, what they perceive as, a threat to their lives.

If possible, try to stay with your animals if you know that a firework display is planned nearby, so that you can reassure them with your presence.

Back inside, another solution is to play your pets soothing music - maybe some Bach to mask the bangs and Rossini to drown out the rockets.

If classical music is not your thing, you may wish to follow some advice from the University of Glasgow’s animal health department researchers who claim that dogs prefer certain types of music.

They found that the dogs they tested had differing responses to different genres of music, highlighting the possibility that, like humans, our canine companions have their own individual music preferences.

However, they also claim that the ’highest positive changes in behaviour’ were observed when reggae or soft rock music was played - so Bob Marley and Fleetwood Mac should be on your playlist for bonfire night.

It’s good to see that silent fireworks are becoming more popular - well done to the Port Erin organisers for leading the way.