Deepavali 2026: pets, fireworks and lamps

Deepavali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, and Monday 9 November is a replacement public holiday in Selangor and most states. For pets, the festival brings four risks: fireworks and firecrackers, lit oil lamps, rich festive food, and open doors during visits. Fireworks are the biggest. Dogs and cats hear far more than we do, and sudden bangs can make them panic, hide for hours or bolt through an open gate. Prepare before the night: walk dogs before dusk, keep cats indoors, close windows and curtains, play the TV or music, and give each pet a quiet den. Keep lamps out of reach, and keep curries (onion and garlic), raisin sweets, ghee-rich snacks and bones away from pets. If you are travelling for the holiday, book boarding early. In Subang Jaya, PGH boards cats from RM35 and dogs from RM50 a night in private rooms.

This is general information from a grooming and boarding team, not veterinary advice. If your pet shows severe panic every festive season, or eats something it shouldn't, call a vet.

When is Deepavali 2026, and when are the fireworks?

Date	What happens
Sunday 8 November 2026	Deepavali. Fireworks and firecrackers are heaviest on the eve and the night itself
Monday 9 November 2026	Replacement public holiday in Selangor and most states
The days around it	Neighbours may set off fireworks for several nights, and open houses carry on through the week

Check the federal holiday list for your state, because a few states follow their own rules for replacement holidays. Fireworks in Malaysia don't stop at Deepavali. Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year follow within three months, so what you set up now helps all season.

Why are dogs and cats so scared of fireworks?

Fireworks are loud, sudden and unpredictable, and pets can't tell where the sound is coming from or when it will stop. Signs of fear include:

• Dogs: trembling, panting, pacing, whining or barking, drooling, hiding under furniture, clinging to you, trying to escape, or toileting indoors.
• Cats: hiding, flattened ears, dilated pupils, refusing food, or over-grooming afterwards.

A frightened dog can jump a gate or slip a collar, and a scared cat can bolt through an open door. Fireworks nights are a common time for pets to go missing, so make sure your pet wears an ID tag with your phone number, and that its microchip details are up to date.

How do I keep my pet calm during Deepavali fireworks?

1. Walk dogs before dusk, so they are tired and toileted before the bangs start.
2. Keep cats indoors from late afternoon, with a litter tray, food and water inside.
3. Close windows and curtains, and switch on the TV, radio or a fan to mask the noise.
4. Make a den: a quiet corner, crate with the door open, or space under a bed with a blanket and something that smells of you. Let your pet choose where to hide. Don't drag it out.
5. Stay calm and stay home if you can. It is fine to comfort a pet that comes to you, as the RSPCA advises. Never shout at or punish a frightened pet.
6. Offer a long-lasting chew or puzzle feeder to a dog that will still eat. It gives the dog something else to focus on.
7. Check doors and gates before visitors arrive, and keep pets in a closed room while guests come and go.

If your dog panics every year despite this, see a vet a few weeks before the festival. A vet can advise on anxiety medication that must be started early, and on a slow sound-training plan for next year. Our list of vet clinics in Subang Jaya and USJ includes which ones open late and the nearest 24-hour hospitals.

Are oil lamps and kolam safe around pets?

Oil lamps (diyas or pelita) and candles are a fire and burn risk with pets in the house. Cats jump onto ledges and tables, and wagging tails sweep across low surfaces.

• Place lit lamps on high, stable surfaces or outside, where pets can't reach them.
• Never leave lamps burning in a room with no one in it.
• Keep pets out of the prayer room while lamps are lit.
• Rice-flour kolam is not toxic if a pet licks a little, but coloured powders and some dyes can upset the stomach. Keep pets off fresh kolam, and wash paws that walk through it.

Which Deepavali foods are dangerous for dogs and cats?

Food	Why it is risky
Curries, rendang, briyani with onion and garlic	Onion and garlic damage red blood cells in dogs and cats, even when cooked
Payasam and kesari with raisins	Raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs
Ghee-rich sweets (ladoo, mysore pak) and fried snacks (murukku, achu murukku)	High fat can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and pancreatitis. Many are also very salty or sugary
Chocolate and sweets with xylitol	Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats. Xylitol is dangerous to dogs
Mutton and chicken bones	Cooked bones splinter and can choke or tear the gut
Alcohol	Toxic to pets in small amounts

Ask guests not to feed your pets, and clear plates from low tables. If your pet eats something on this list, call a vet straight away. Don't wait for signs.

Where can my pet stay if I travel for Deepavali?

If you are going back to your hometown or travelling over the long weekend, book boarding early. Public holiday weekends fill up first. At PGH in USJ 21, every guest has its own air-conditioned, glass-fronted room, and rooms are cleaned and disinfected twice a day.

PGH hotel	Cat	Dog
Deluxe room, per night	RM35	RM50
Presidential room, per night	RM60	RM80
Day care, per day	RM15	RM35

Prices checked October 2026. Different conditions may apply during peak seasons.

Bring your pet's own food and its vaccination record (a photo is fine). Pets need at least one combination vaccine. Flea and tick prevention is applied at check-in and is compulsory: Advantix for dogs RM38 to 48, Advantage for cats RM25 to 35, by weight. Check-out is by 7pm.

Our preparing your pet for boarding checklist covers what to pack, and the school holiday and CNY 2027 boarding guide covers the busy weeks that follow. See cat hotel and dog hotel for rooms and photos, or WhatsApp us to book. PGH is in USJ 21, Subang Jaya: how to get here.