The 2026 Chinese New Year - symbolism of the year of the horse
- Justin Lim
- Feb 18
- 7 min read
(Source: Rover)
Happy Chinese New Year to all pet parents! This year we welcome in the year of the horse, a symbol of . Although it may be a joyous period for all, that might not be the case for your pets.
This year however, festivities began a little later than usual, with the 15-day long celebratory period beginning on Tuesday the 17th of Feburary, the Lunar New Year. It is one of the most joyful times of the year for people. The same couldn't be said for our pets.
This celebrator period can be particularly disorientating for your pets. Here's what you need to look out for during the celebrations, to make it a better experience for your pets.
Why Chinese New Year Is Particularly Hard on Pets in Singapore
(Source: Straits Times)
Singapore's high-density living means that noise travels differently here than in a landed house or a quieter suburban neighbourhood. In an HDB flat, the boom of firecrackers echoes up through concrete floors and walls. A dog on the 12th floor hears it almost as clearly as one on the ground. Cats, with their extraordinary hearing range, might be particularly affected, as they are able to pick up frequencies that humans cannot.
Beyond noise, the household itself transforms. More people come and go, familiar routines collapse, reunion dinners run late. From a pet's perspective, their entire environment has been rearranged without explanation. It may be a little exhausting or overwhelming for them during this period, especially if they are not used to the guests.
For a dog that relies on routine and familiar scent cues, this is genuinely destabilising. For a cat, whose sense of territory is deeply tied to environmental consistency, the disruption can trigger withdrawal, loss of appetite, or aggression. Neither response is bad behaviour of course, but rather these are your pets' defence mechanisms, that are not to be taken lightly.
Countering the noise problem
(Source: Vetli)
The instinct to comfort a frightened pet is natural, but how you do it matters. Excessive coddling during a fear response can inadvertently reinforce the anxiety, teaching the animal that there is, in fact, something to be afraid of.
In practical terms, these are what help most:
Create a dedicated safe space before the noise begins. A covered crate lined with familiar bedding, or a quiet room with the door closed, gives an anxious animal somewhere to retreat that feels genuinely secure. Introduce this space days in advance so it already carries their scent and feels like theirs.
Use white noise or music as a buffer. A fan running in the background, a Spotify playlist designed for pets, or even a television left on at low volume can soften the sudden impact of firecrackers. The goal is not to drown out the sound entirely but to reduce the contrast between silence and explosion.
Keep your own energy steady. Dogs especially are highly attuned to human stress. If you begin rushing around anxiously before the fireworks start, your dog registers that as a signal that something threatening is coming. Go about your evening calmly, greet them normally, and let them take their behavioural cues from you.
Close all windows and draw the curtains. This reduces both sound penetration and visual stimulation from flashing lights outside. It also prevents a panicked dog from attempting to bolt through an open window during a particularly loud burst.
Consider a thunder shirt or anxiety wrap for dogs with a known history of noise sensitivity. These apply gentle, consistent pressure around the torso and have been shown in observational trials to reduce physical stress indicators in anxious dogs.
For cats, the single most important thing you can do is ensure they have vertical space to retreat to. A cat that can observe from a high shelf feels fundamentally safer than one trapped at floor level with no exit route. Clear a high shelf or wardrobe top before the celebrations begin.
Chinese New Year Food - Hazardous for pets?
(Source: Smartpaw)
Chinese New Year food is extraordinary, and a significant portion of it is harmful or potentially fatal to dogs and cats. Several traditional CNY foods pose genuine medical risk to your pets, and here are the ones you especially need to be conscious about leaving out in the open:
Bak kwa - This dried barbecued pork is seasoned heavily with sugar, salt, and often garlic or other spices. It sits on every surface during CNY visits. For a dog, the smell is irresistible. Even a small amount can cause salt toxicity in smaller breeds, and garlic-containing marinades are genuinely toxic to both dogs and cats. Keep it out of reach and alert visiting family members not to share.
Nian gao and other glutinous rice desserts - Sticky rice cakes may seem harmless but the dense, glutinous texture is a choking hazard for dogs and can cause intestinal blockage. The high sugar content is also problematic for cats, who lack the taste receptors to even register sweetness and gain no benefit from it while still suffering the metabolic consequences.
Pineapple tarts - The pastry itself is high in butter and sugar, but the pineapple filling contains bromelain, an enzyme that in concentrated form can cause mouth irritation and digestive upset in cats especially. The tartness also triggers excessive salivation and can cause vomiting.
Steamboat broth - The communal steamboat pot seems innocent but the broth builds up extraordinary concentrations of sodium, garlic, onion, and other aromatics over the course of an evening. Cats who lap up spilled broth or dogs who drink from bowls left on the floor can absorb dangerously high sodium levels. Onion and garlic compounds are toxic to both species and cause red blood cell damage even in small amounts.
Mandarin orange peels - The essential oils in citrus peel, particularly limonene and linalool, are toxic to cats and can cause lethargy, drooling, and liver damage with repeated exposure. Mandarin peels accumulate quickly during CNY and often end up within reach on coffee tables and floors.
Alcohol - Reunion dinners often involve beer, wine, or brandy. A cat or dog that laps up a spilled drink or an unattended glass can absorb alcohol rapidly through their smaller body mass. Even a tablespoon of spirits can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar and body temperature in a small dog.
The practical solution is to designate a specific area of the home as the family dining and snacking space, and keep the door closed. If you have visiting family who are not used to living with pets, a brief, friendly explanation before the evening begins saves a great deal of anxiety later.
Managing Visitors and Social Overload
(Source: Smartpaw)
Singapore CNY house visiting runs across fifteen days, and in a well-connected family, that can mean dozens of people moving through your home across multiple evenings. There may be relatives who haven't visited since last year, and they arrive with unfamiliar smells, voices, and energy. Some guests are afraid of your pet, some are overenthusiastic, almost none of them know your pet's actual personality.
A few things that make this significantly easier:
Give your pet a room of their own for heavy visiting days. A quiet room with their bed, water, and a few familiar toys is infinitely less stressful than navigating a flat full of strangers who want to pet them or, equally stressful, are actively avoiding them.
Brief your family before they arrive. A WhatsApp message in the family group asking people not to feed the dog, not to rush toward the cat, and to knock before entering the bedroom goes a long way. Frame it as a request, not a lecture.
Watch for stress signals in real time. A dog that is yawning excessively, licking their lips without food present, or turning their face away from a person is asking to be left alone. These are not signs of aggression, they are polite requests for space. Honouring them prevents the situation from escalating.
For cats, hiding is almost always the right call during heavy visitor days. A cat that disappears under the bed when twenty relatives arrive is not being antisocial. It is making an entirely reasonable decision. Ensure they have access to their litter box, water, and food in that quieter space and leave them to it.
Traditions You Can Actually Share With Your Pet
(Source: lobangsiahsg)
Not everything about Chinese New Year is stressful for animals. Some parts of the celebration are genuinely compatible with a good pet experience, and leaning into those can make the season feel more inclusive.
Morning walks on the quieter days of the festival, particularly after the first two days when house visiting slows slightly, can feel especially peaceful. Streets are emptier, parks are less crowded, and the atmosphere is unusually calm for Singapore. Many dog owners find these some of their favourite walks of the year.
Some families include their pets in the family photograph taken during CNY. This is genuinely lovely and worth the fifteen minutes of logistics it takes to get a cat to sit still for it.
A small amount of plain, unseasoned steamed fish or chicken is perfectly safe as a CNY treat for both dogs and cats. If you want to give your pet something special from the reunion table, this is the thing to give. Skip the sauce, skip the seasoning, and keep the portion small.
In 2026, the Year of the Horse begins. The horse is associated in Chinese tradition with energy, loyalty, and an unbreakable bond between horse and rider. As a pet owner, that is not a bad frame for the new year. The bond between a guardian and their animal is its own kind of loyalty, one that asks for presence, attention, and care in return for something that cannot be bought.
The best thing you can do for your pet this Chinese New Year is prepare before the noise begins. Identify the safe space now. Have the white noise ready. Let visiting family know the ground rules before they arrive. Keep the dangerous foods in places your pet genuinely cannot access.
None of this requires a significant investment of time or money. It requires the same attentiveness you already bring to understanding your pet every other day of the year, applied to a context that is particularly difficult for them.
Your pet may not understand the traditions and culture, but they will understand that you were there, that the space you gave them was safe.
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