Back to School Leaves Sad Pets at Home
Posted in Birds, Cats, Dogs, Pet Stress, pet separation anxiety on 09/23/2009 07:18 am by cporter
September can be a sad time for pets that have enjoyed the companionship of kids who were home for the summer. Is your pet sad and lonely at home now that your kids have returned to school? A regular predictable schedule for play, petting, attention, grooming and exercise and providing fun activities for pets while you’re out can all alleviate a pet’s stress from separation anxiety, loneliness and boredom.
Kids can:
- Pet, walk or play with pets before school.
- Avoid long sad good byes with pets when they leave for school.
- Provide afterschool petting, extra exercise and playtime.
- Hang out with pets while doing homework and reading.
Adults can reduce pets’ loneliness and boredom:
- Provide lots of extra exercise, a long walk and play time before or after work, or during the day if possible. A well-exercised pet will have less stress and might be grateful for quiet sleeping time after morning exercise.
- Hang out with your pets while you do houses chores, read, watch TV, or work on computers. Take dogs on errands.
- Change the pets’ environment to make it more fun and entertaining:
- Great toys such as chew toys, and treat toys for dogs, hanging mouse or feather toys, clawing posts and treat toys for cats, and an ever-changing assortment toys and treats for birds.
- Hide treats inside toys, boxes, old shoes for pets to find.
- Hang bird cages near windows and install wide shelves or ledges for dogs and cats to sit and watch the world outside their windows.
- Pet furniture is commercially available and includes ramps, houses and comfortable pet beds.
- Some pets like to watch other animals on TV so let you pet tune into Animal Planet or a nature channel, or watch nature DVD’s.
- Hire a dog walker or pet companion, a neighbor, or a part-time student to visit your pet and provide companionship and exercise.
- Daycare centers are available for dogs and might be just what your dog needs for socialization and training as well as companionship.
- A creative work situation might work for you and your pet. Some pet owners are now permitted to take dogs to “pet-friendly” businesses and offices. Other pet owners are working and telecommuting from home.
- Consider getting a companion animal for your pet. Dogs tend to be highly social and get along with other dogs as well as cats. Dogs, cats and birds can enjoy watching aquarium or caged pets such as hamsters, gerbils or guinea pigs. Cats love watching safely caged birds and birds are stimulated by keeping an eye on natural predators.
You can read more about pet separation anxiety at:
