{"id":1815,"date":"2016-09-27T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T16:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/?p=1815"},"modified":"2018-08-14T22:29:35","modified_gmt":"2018-08-15T05:29:35","slug":"how-to-relieve-your-pets-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/pet-care\/how-to-relieve-your-pets-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Alleviate Your Pet’s Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, a friend of mine has been worrying about her cat. She got a new job and her schedule changed to her being gone for a few hours on days that she wasn\u2019t normally gone. She would come home to find her cat being uncharacteristically clingy and acting really sick. After a few hours of her being home, the cat would seem to be better. After assessing her symptoms and consulting a vet, she discovered that her cat had separation anxiety due to the change in the routine.<\/p>\n

This is a fairly common occurrence among household pets. They are sensitive to change\u2014just like humans.<\/p>\n

What is the Cause of Anxiety?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are several kinds of anxiety found in animals.<\/p>\n

1. Separation Anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just like my friend\u2019s cat, many animals can develop separation anxiety. This kind of anxiety refers to when an animal gets anxious from being left alone. This can happen for a number of reasons: a change in their owner\u2019s schedule, a traumatic event, or a lack of socialization when they were first born.<\/p>\n

\"alleviate<\/a>2. Changes in Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I said earlier, animals are sensitive to change. Any changes in their environment can lead to an increase in their stress levels. If you move houses or add a new person to the household (spouse, baby, etc.) they will need time to adjust and can be anxious until they are used to the changes. Even short car rides can lead to an increase in anxiety.<\/p>\n

3. Noise Anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n

This kind of anxiety is caused by loud noises. This happens a lot during the holidays when fireworks are constantly being set off. Or if you live in an area like Cincinnati, where we do Fireworks Fridays every Friday of baseball season (my dog absolutely hates baseball season.)<\/p>\n

Another common cause of noise anxiety is thunderstorms. The abrupt, loud noise of the thunder causes heightened stress levels in lots of animals.<\/p>\n

4. Confinement Anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n

This kind of anxiety can occur whenever an animal feels trapped. Have you ever hugged your pet and noticed how tense they become? Hugging your pet can often lead to a sense of confinement and they will often try to flee. This can also contribute to their anxiety during car rides. Not only are they in a new environment and being transported to a new environment, but they are also stuck there and can\u2019t get out.<\/p>\n

What are the Symptoms?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"alleviate<\/a>Separation Anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n

Separation anxiety is a little different than the other forms of anxiety and thus has its own specific set of symptoms. Some of the things to look for are:<\/p>\n