PETS are facing a terrifying ordeal as the fireworks season gets under way.

Cats will be cowering in fear from the relentless explosions while dogs are twice as likely to get scared and run away around November 5, leading charities have warned.

With most public displays cancelled, residents will be lighting Roman candles and launching skyrockets from their back gardens.

Sainsbury’s has stopped selling fireworks and there are hopes that more retailers will follow suit. China has discovered how to make silent fireworks, although they are yet to be made available in the UK.

Advice for pet owners includes turning on the radio, covering windows, creating hiding dens and keeping pets indoors.

The Guy Fawkes Night tradition dates back four centuries to the foiling of the gunpowder plot to blow up King James I and Parliament.

Chief executive of the Kennel Club, Mark Beazley, said fireworks night “can have devastating and long-term effects on dogs, with dozens going missing every year”.