How to Reduce Your Pet’s Anxiety
Just like people, pets can suffer from anxiety for a variety of reasons. Does your cat bolt whenever anyone enters the room? Does your dog avoid eye contact all the time? Maybe your pet is displaying destructive behavior—even that can be caused by anxiety.
Having an anxious pet can make you feel helpless and anxious yourself! When it comes to pet care, there is nothing we wouldn’t do to prevent our pets from suffering anxiety. While there are products and medications available in Saint Francisville, LA that can help with pet anxiety, there are also a lot of things that dog and cat lovers can do themselves to provide the best pet care at home.
What causes pet anxiety?
Pets can be anxious for many reasons. Dogs and cats are often sensitive to change. If you move or get a new roommate, that can cause anxiety in your pets. Loud noises, unfamiliar people or animals and even new objects in the home can cause anxiety in some animals. Separation anxiety is also very common in both cats and dogs, causing behavior problems or self-destructive, anxious behaviors.
Sometimes, even when providing the best pet care, there are things we can’t control that affect our beloved animals. Things like neighbors setting off fireworks in front of your house can’t be prevented, but here are some ways to provide pet care that can help with anxiety.
Get a workout
Just like with humans, exercise can help a lot when it comes to dealing with pet anxiety. Pent up energy has to go somewhere—help it go into building stronger muscles rather than anxiety. Regular exercise is important for healthy pets, but especially if you’re going to be in situations that you know might cause anxiety, wearing out your pets beforehand can help them stay calm. For example, on July 4, if you know fireworks are coming, take your dog for a long walk in the afternoon to help them cope better.
Play time
Some pets develop anxiety out of sheer boredom. Giving your pets toys can help engage their minds and distract them from anxious feelings or boredom. For cats and other animals, toys also give them a way to exercise and work out their excess energy since they can’t go on long walks outside. Saving special favorite toys or a favorite treat for when you know you’ll be out of the house for a while is also a good idea for pets with separation anxiety.
Bonding
Some pets have a hard time coping and self-soothing when their people are gone for extended periods of time. Along with toys, playing calming music has been found to help dogs deal with stress when their owners are out of the house. If your dogs and cats suffer from severe separation anxiety, you may also want to allow them to sleep in your bed. That bonding and closeness can help soothe your pets and make them feel more supported when you’re away.
Love your anxious pets
Hopefully, taking these steps will help reduce your dogs’ and cats’ anxiety. If you have any questions about helping your pets cope with stress, or any other questions about pet care in Saint Francisville, LA, contact the experts at St. Francisville Animal Hospital.
Categorised in: Separation Anxiety