A dog or cat that goes to pieces at fireworks or a house move doesn't need sedating so much as taking the edge off, and that distinction is the entire pitch behind Beaphar's Calming Tablets. They're built to calm without the drowsiness a stronger option might bring.

The tablets use Melissa (lemon balm), rosemary, limetree blossom and hop flowers, with Beaphar saying the calming effect begins around 1.5 hours after ingestion. Dosage is by size: half a tablet for cats and small dogs such as a terrier, one tablet for medium dogs such as a collie, and two tablets for large dogs such as a German Shepherd.

• Herbal formula: Melissa, rosemary, limetree blossom, hop flowers
• Calming effect from around 1.5 hours after ingestion
• Dosed by size, from half a tablet to two tablets
• Said not to cause drowsiness
• 20 tablets per pack
• Formerly marketed as Sherleys Serenity Tablets

One thing worth knowing. One packet is said to treat a large dog for 3 days at full dose, or a small dog for considerably longer — worth working out against your own pet's dose before assuming a pack will last a specific event or a longer stretch of noise season.

Who it's for: owners of a cat or dog reacting to a specific stressor — fireworks, travel, a change at home — who want a herbal option rather than a prescription sedative.