Celebrate a silent Diwali; it’s the best thing you can do for pets: Samyukta

An avid animal lover, actor Samyukta Hornad is tired of trying to educate people on the effects of firecrackers on not just animals, but humans, too.
“When I was a child, I used to enjoy bursting crackers. Back then, I wasn’t aware of the side effects. But when I was in high school, I vowed to never touch crackers, and I haven’t broken that promise till date,” says Samyukta. “Bursting firecrackers, not just for Diwali, does so much damage to the environment. I think we need to question the things we are doing right now, a lot of people just blindly follow the herd,” she tells us. Here’s a look at her Diwali plans this year:
‘Pets can develop anxiety issues due to the noise’Pets, and even the streeties are not used to loud lights and noises. Their frequency is different from us and can hear and smell a lot more than we do, which ultimately causes them more damage. It’s scary for them, they develop severe anxiety issues.
I’ll be cooking a dish in memory of my ajji; she taught me the recipeDiwali is one of my favourite festivals, and this is the first time I’m celebrating after losing my Ajji a year-and-a-half ago. It’s not the same without her. But this year, my mom and I plan on cooking, and I also intend on making a recipe that my Ajji taught me.

‘Diwali is called the festival of giving, for a reason’
Ever since I was a child, my dad has taught me the value and importance of sharing. It’s a part of the festivities for me. More than doing a puja, distributing sweets to the people around me has become a ritual. Diwali is called the festival of giving and for a reason; there’s no fun in celebrating by yourself.
Samyukta’s tips to keep your fur buddies safe this Diwali
1. Make sure to never leave them alone, they can get startled by the sounds and lights, and go into hiding
2. If you’ve placed diyas around your home, keep them in a place where your pets can’t get to them
3. Same goes with sweets, they are bad for your pets if they ingest it
4. When you take your pets out for a walk, be very cautious. If they eat crackers, or chemicals, it can cause really bad digestive issues
5. If you have streeties in your area, keep an eye out for them, too. You are probably their only family