Holi 2026: Pet parents, experts tell you how to take care of your furry friends

Offer them spaceFestivals can be difficult for these babies especially streeties As a pet parent and feeder one of the concerns during festivals is the loud noises and crowds With Charlie my threeyearold indie I try to take her out in the early mornings before the crowds take over We spend the rest of the day indoors We use flowers instead of colours for our own HoliChecklistgtgt A long early morning walk or engaging in games can work away their nervous energygtgt Feed them on time and away from the crowdgtgt Keep them indoors if you can on such daysgtgt Build a refuge space where they can take shelterKhushali Chauhan 20 pet parent and feeder WadalaStep out to helpHoli might seem fun as a kid but for streeties and pets at home it is stressful The loud noise the crowds water balloons flying in from everywhere It is scary We my husband and I spend the day cooking dogfriendly sweets for our furries Loki Luna and Tofu This distracts them from the chaos Community dogs tend to go into hiding We usually spend our evening looking for them We use coconut oil and a towel to clean themChecklistgtgt Create a small sheltergtgt Educate kids in your community about mindful ways to celebrategtgt Step out to look for the community dogs and help themgtgt Use coconut oil to gently rub off the colour Give them a wash if you cangtgt Reach out to animal welfare associations when neededPrateeksha Khot 34 pet parent and feeder MulundPlay mindfullyColours can cause severe skin problems among streeties They lack the facility ability or knowledge to know how to care for themselves It is a terrible idea to use toxic chemical colours on human skin let alone animals After every Holi I go around with a wet cloth trying to wipe away the colours But that is often late Holi was about natural colours not loud sounds or crackers If we can go back to using natural materials it would be better We need collective effort by people to educate others and take measuresChecklistgtgt Where possible use natural colours like turmeric or fruit extractsgtgt Keep a wet cloth handy to wipe the colours off themgtgt Spread awareness among kids and adultsgtgt Ask people to not play with colours in feeding areasgtgt Call out people applying colours on streetiesTaronish Bulsara founder World for All Animal Care and AdoptionsGet helpgtgt Paw DiariesLOG ON TO teampawdiariesCALL 9960145333gtgt Trimurti Paws AmbulanceCALL 9833666616gtgt World For All Animal Care and AdoptionsCALL 9820191321gtgt In Defense of Animals IDACALL 9320056588gtgt YODALOG ON TO yodamumbaiCALL 8899997704