Helping pets (and their owners) stay relaxed this firework season
Dan Walker and Charlotte Hawkins to present two programmes on Classic FM with calming classical music and practical advice from the RSPCA
Saturday 2nd November and Tuesday 5th November, 5pm to 9pm on Classic FM and Global Player
Published: October 22, 2024 — Classic FM – the UK’s most popular classical music station – has announced today (Wednesday 23rd October) the return of its groundbreaking and hugely popular programme to help keep anxious pets (and their owners!) relaxed this firework season.
Classic FM’s Pet Classics is back; two special shows, hosted by Charlotte Hawkins, who’s presented the programme since 2021, and Classic FM Breakfast presenter and dog-owner Dan Walker, who joins Pet Classics this year. Charlotte will host the first programme on Saturday 2nd November, 5pm to 9pm – to coincide with the busiest evening for public firework displays – and Dan will host a second show on Bonfire Night, Tuesday 5th November, 5pm to 9pm.
In what can be a stressful and frightening time for pets, Classic FM is partnering with the RSPCA once again to create the programmes and provide an audio sanctuary for the nation’s animals. From the RSPCA’s impact survey last year, 67% of respondents reported that private back garden displays were the cause of their animals’ fear response, and that playing relaxing music is the most common way pet owners help relax or prepare their animals for Bonfire Night.
Both Pet Classics programmes have been specially curated to feature the most soothing classical music to calm any nervous pet or anxious owner. Many of the music choices and composers are connected with animals such as Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals: The Swan; Elgar’s Mina, his last work which he named after his Cairn Terrier, and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.17. Mozart owned a pet starling whose song features in the concerto.
Alongside the soothing music, Charlotte and Dan will read out personal dedications to listeners’ pets. Last year, Classic FM received thousands of pictures of pets and animals, relaxing to the programmes, ranging from dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters, to horses, tortoises, hedgehogs, goldfish, snakes and a spider! Since its launch in 2018, Classic FM’s Pet Classics has become one of the station’s most popular programmes of the year.
Source
Global
