How to Ease Your Pet’s Separation Anxiety

How to Ease Your Pet’s Separation Anxiety

Given the amount of time we have been spending with our fur babies during the “Stay At Home” order, we can expect our pets to experience some form of separation anxiety. Easing your pet into their pre-pandemic routines may be a challenge as we return to work and the outside world. We have come up with five ways on how to ease your pet’s separation anxiety. These steps will allow for a smoother transition into a routine for the changes to come.

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety occurs most commonly when an animal is hyper-attached to their human. They feel abandoned when they are separated from someone they spent so much time with. This can manifest in different ways for different pets. Some pets become more vocal or destructive, and others become quieter. Some signs of separation anxiety include:

  • Vocalization: howling/whining/barking or excessive barking
  • Destructive chewing furniture/ personal belongings (destructive behavior)
  • Inappropriate urination (peeing outside the litter box or on the owner’s clothes)
  • Scratching at the door/destructive behaviors
  • Shaking/Shivering
  • Refusing to eat
  • Become quiet or withdrawn

Generally, these behaviors start once you begin your routine to leave home, or after you have left. Picking up your keys or putting on your coat will be a sign your pet will associate with departure. These sound like some daunting characteristics, but rest assured, separation anxiety can be aided and even eliminated from the pet given the proper care and training in most cases.

Here are five ways on how to ease your pet’s separation anxiety.

Practice your ‘exit routine’ without the exit

How many times have you gone to put your shoes on to leave the house, and one of them has magically disappeared? That is because our pets KNOW what it means when we put our shoes on. Try doing the final few steps of your exit routine without actually exiting. Put on your shoes, grab your keys, wallet/handbag, and then stay home. Instead of leaving, give your pet extra loving, maybe a treat, belly rubs and reassurance. When you do this, your pet will start to disassociate those “exit actions” with you leaving the house. Do this several times a day as you lead up to the actual exit date. If you have already begun working outside of the home, you can still practice this technique during periods of being home, such as evenings, weekends, etc.

Good Old Entertainment

We would be a little anxious listening to ourselves breathe all day while missing our favorite person. Our pets can also get anxious and distressed from the silence. Give your fur baby some light entertainment while you are away. Whether it’s the radio, music, the TV, or even an audiobook, leaving something on with a human voice will make them feel like someone is there with them. This is a simple way to comfort your pet and give you some peace of mind knowing there is something to keep them company while you are away.

calm kitty with frog toy

Help your pet to stay calm even when they miss you

Stay Calm

Humans emit pheromones that our pets can smell. These hormone-like chemicals tell our pets when we feel nervous, fearful, or anxious. Our anticipation of knowing our pets will be anxious when we leave can cause us to emit those chemicals, adding to their separation anxiety and emotional distress. If you can’t help but feel worried about leaving them, pop a mint or piece of gum into your mouth to throw them off your scent.

Pawsitive Association

Pawsitive association works for our sweet kitties and slobbery pups by rewarding their good behaviour through toys or treats. For this behavior modification exercise, try purchasing a new toy that you only bring out when you leave. This will give them something positive to enjoy while knowing you are leaving. If the way to your pet’s heart is through their stomach, then have a special snack on hand. Tuna juice for cats or frozen peanut butter Kongs for pups are great treats. This will keep them busy as you head out the door and leave them with the fondest of memories of you as they snack away!

Exercise and Interaction with Other Humans

Exercise and interaction are a fantastic way to build up your pet’s confidence and ultimately relieve much of their anxiety. Spending a designated time walking your dog or playing with your cat before you leave will also tire them out. Try to plan your day out thoughtfully and include them into your daily routine. This will not only help them get into a daily schedule, but the exercise and play will also be good for their physical and psychological well-being. Remember, a tired pet is a calm pet, which guarantees peace of mind.

If you have been home around the clock over these last several months, chances are both you, and your pet will feel a void when the time comes to part ways. Hiring a midday dog walker or cat sitter is a great way to make sure the transition is smooth for both of you. A dog walker will make sure your pup gets fresh air and great exercise to prepare them for the second half of their day while waiting for mom/dad to arrive home. A cat sitter can come by during the day for some playtime and a treat or two. Having “outsiders” come into the home will help your pet become more adaptable. This ultimately places less hyper-attachment on you, giving you a happier, healthier, less anxious relationship.

If you are concerned with cross-contamination when considering hiring a dog walker, cat sitter, or pet sitter, check out our Covid safety measures to learn all about the safety guidelines Just Around the Corner Pet Sitting and Dog Walking is implementing. We believe in keeping our clients, their fur babies and our employees safe during these unique times. Together we can ease our pet’s separation anxiety while creating a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

Have experience with an anxious pet as a pet owner? Let us know how you helped them overcome and ease Separation Anxiety in the comments below.

 

 

 

 

Dog Walking & Pet Care: The New Normal

Dog Walking & Pet Care: The New Normal

JAC Dog Walking & Pet Sitting’s New Normal

 

Even in the “New Normal” world there are pets (thank goodness!) and those pets need to be cared for!  We at Just Around the Corner have worked diligently to enhance safety for our clients, their pets, and our employees.  Aside from masks and extra sanitizing we hope our furry friends won’t even notice a difference!  These last few months have had us asking things like… How will we ever return to “normal”?  What will the NEW normal look like?  Can we reopen?  If so, WHEN?  What can we change to ensure the safety of our family, friends and clients?  All questions that you may have asked yourself recently too, right?  Fear not, your favorite pet care company has the answers for you regarding our services and the adjustments we are making.

Safety Guidelines

 

Before the job starts

  • If an employee is not feeling well or discovers any safety/health concerns they will immediately contact the office and their schedule will be reassigned until they are back to feeling 100%.
  • We ask that if you as a client will be home during the scheduled visit and are not feeling i.e. fever, body aches, cough, etc. that you contact the office immediately to reschedule your pet’s visits.
  • Minimizing exposure is of the utmost importance to us, and while it may not always be convenient we are committed to the safety of our clients, your pets, and our employees.

 

On the Job

  • All employees will wear an approved face mask covering both the nose & mouth for the duration of every visit.
  • Antibacterial sanitizer will be used by all employees several times throughout each visit.
  • Employees will sanitize directly before starting each visit or touching any part of client property including but not limited to lockboxes, gates, newspapers/mail & doors.

 

Minimizing Exposure

  • In order to keep exposure to a minimum we will be handling only what is necessary to care for each pet.
  • We will continue to use the client’s designated collars/harnesses/leashes and encourage our walkers to disinfect prior to and post use.
  • Moving forward we will not be handling toys, treats, food dishes or water dishes in an effort to minimize exposure for everyone.
  • We urge you to leave extra water out (if needed) for your pet(s). You are welcome to leave specified treats or pre-portioned food in their bowls on the counter if you would like your pet to receive those things during their visit.
  • Our walkers/pet care associates will also be practicing safe social distancing (6’ apart) at all times.

 

New Chat Feature

We are excited to introduce the new Chat Feature as a replacement to our previously handwritten notes.  PPS (Power Pet Sitter) now has a mobile app with a Chat Feature.  When you log into the PPS app, you will see a new box in your visit labeled “chat”.  When you tap on the Chat button you will see that a note is waiting for you from your walker/sitter for that day.  This will, again, help to limit the number of items touched and overall exposure during each visit.  PLUS, you will get to see the note as soon as your visit is complete, no more waiting until you get home to see how it went for the day. YAY!  Please note: We will no longer be leaving handwritten notes at the end of each visit as these awesome messages will replace those. Please download the app today! Android, Apple

 

At the JAC Office

Management at JAC will continue working diligently to keep our team safe and healthy as we make this transition into our “new normal” as safe and easy as possible.  We have created these new guidelines in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and all State and local municipalities in response to Coronavirus.

Our Mission

At Just Around the Corner our mission has always been “Peace of Mind for our clients” and “One size does not fit all”.  Please know that within these new guidelines we will continue to take situations/requests on a case by case basis.  If something listed above may cause harm/discomfort to you as a pet owner or your pet, we are available to discuss the situation with you and come up with a positive solution for everyone involved.

We are all in this together and look forward to our soft reopening May 18th.  Please do not hesitate to call or email with questions or concerns. We are here for you and your fur babies, always. 508-245-1389 or jacpetsit@gmail.com

We Can’t Wait to See You!