Considerations for Our Pets During “Safer-At-Home”

We have all been under stay-at-home orders for over 2 months now. We may be going stir-crazy, but our pets have been loving all the extra attention and time spent with us. Some families have even fostered or adopted new pets during this time. Seems like the perfect time to do it with all the time in the world to spend with the new family members, making sure they get settled and trained. The dogs have been loving the extra exercise, walks and belly rubs. The cats have acted tolerant of us being home, but I think secretly love it. But in the coming weeks some restrictions are easing, and life may very slowly start to feel more normal. This may include a lot of us going back to work in some capacity. If you will be going back to work soon and have a large schedule shift, please be considerate to your pets. They have become accustomed to us being at home all the time. The change may be stressful to them, especially for those pets who were just acquired during this stay-at-home time. Pets that are experiencing stress will sometimes show it outwardly with destructive or anxious behaviors. To make this change of schedule a bit easier, I recommend easing them into it when possible. You can try desensitizing them to you leaving the house by leaving first for short and then longer periods of time. If they are used to being in their crate when you are out of the house, make sure to start using this again. Even with our best efforts, some pets may still experience separation anxiety. If easing them into it and giving them some time to adjust to the changes does not help, then please talk to your veterinarian. There are a lot of options available from natural supplements to more potent medications to help relieve their anxiety.
Cinema Veterinary Centre is located at 23460 Cinema Drive, suite L in Valencia 91355, (661) 253-9300.