Alexa can help scaredy cats and dogs on bonfire night. Here's how

If like me you're already heartily sick of dolts letting off fireworks and scaring your pets silly, Alexa might be able to help. Amazon has commissioned an all-new piece of music to help calm your cat, and there's a new Alexa feature for dogs too.

According to Amazon, the cat composition is "following scientific research showcasing that cats prefer species-appropriate music" and is "specifically designed to calm cats and help keep them at ease during what can be a stressful evening."

How Alexa can help calm your pets

All you need to do is tell your Echo speaker, Alexa-enabled smart speaker or Echo Show, "Alexa, help my cat relax" or "Alexa, help my dog relax" – or ask Alexa to play the Classical For Dogs playlist, which has been designed to help mask the bangs and booms outside.

You can even get your dog to trigger the playlist without your help. A new Press Paws Alexa Routine will detect your dog barking and play the music automatically. You'll need to be an Amazon Music customer, either via Prime membership or an Amazon Music subscription.

Pet owners don't need to be reminded of how horrible this time of year is for cats and dogs; I'm writing this bleary-eyed because some clown was letting off fireworks in the street last night, frightening the life out of my greyhound and depriving both of us of a good night's sleep. So if this can help make bonfire night a bit less terrifying for her and less annoying for me I'm all for it.