The Corona Virus has completely taken over 2020. We all started this year full of hope and goals. But the corona virus threw a wrench in our plans. No longer able to socialize with our friends, not able to leave our homes and everyone’s work life has changed in some way. What we are living through right now is not easy and while we are in the eye of the storm lets try to remember the positives in our lives. For me this always comes back to our pets. They give us unconditional love, hundreds of cute pictures and now we have hours of funny stories about them to share. But we need to ask ourselves how are our pets coping with all this change as well?
Animals thrive on routine, and now their daily routine has been greatly altered. Jennifer Verdolin, an animal behavior expert and author, said “We tend to think of how lucky we are that we have pets and they’re helping us cope, but I think we need also flip it around and go, ‘How can we help them cope?’ ” (Slate). As pet owners we need to be sensitive to the fact that this might be a hard time for our pets as well.
Thousands of pet owners are reporting abnormal behavior from their pet during this quarantine. Some common threads in these stories are animals “acting out” going to the bathroom in the house when housebroken, not being as affectionate with their owners and being picky eaters. These actions are all ways in which your pet is trying to communicate with you that they aren’t entirely happy with this new change in schedule. Although it’s unknown yet the extent to which quarantine is triggering pet anxieties, a potential culprit of these sudden changes is what veterinary scientists call ‘displacement behaviors” Displacement behaviors are the tics that pets adopt to cope with new stressors. (Vox)
There are things you can do to help your pet through this time and manage their emotions better. Veterinarians recommend a scheduled feeding time and walk time. These schedules can help your pet feel more structure in their newly unstructured world. Behaviorists are suggesting that owners give their pet space. This is essential if you are working from home now. By giving your pet space and distance even while in the same house helps your pet feel their boundaries are being respected. For more ideas on how to make your dogs own space comfy check out this link. The use of interactive games and feeding methods is also another way to help your pet exert some of their pent up mental energy.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that you found it informative. And let me know in the comments below the ways you are helping your pet cope through quarantine.