Does your pet suffer from separation anxiety while you’re away from home? Try these simple calming techniques.
Have you ever left your house only to return to find your favorite shoes chewed or the couch scratched and torn? Do your dogs camp out by the door, anxiously awaiting your return or maybe even leave you a special “present” on the floor?
If so, chances are your pet is showing signs of separation anxiety, a quite common occurrence in dogs and, to a lesser extent, a behavior also seen in cats and horses.
In addition to separation from owners, anxiety in pets can be triggered by loud noises, like thunder, fireworks and sirens.
Whatever the cause, this type of stress can cause a plethora of negative responses, including destructive behavior like chewing household objects; growling and aggression; excessive drooling and panting; vomiting; nervous pacing; and urinating or defecating in the house.
Dogs can also show signs like tucking their ears or tails, raising the fur on their spine and avoiding eye contact. In cats, you might observe tail twitching, ears pointed back, the body perched low to the ground, excessive grooming, low appetite, urine spraying and excessive scratching.
While you can’t always remove the cause of the anxiety, there are plenty of techniques you might try to help ease this condition in your pet.
10 Techniques to Calm Your Pet’s Anxiety
Whether you’re planning on stepping out for just a few hours or taking off for a week this summer, here are 10 techniques to help calm your fur babies’ separation anxiety.
- Treat Your Pet to a Stuffed Rubber Chew Toy – Dogs have an instinctual need to chew and play. When they’re anxious, they often chew on everything they’re not supposed to, like a new pair of shoes or a hard-backed book. One solution is to fill a Kong with peanut butter and freeze it. What’s a Kong, you ask? You know, those red snowman-shaped rubber toys you may have seen at your local pet store – you can fill them with peanut butter, freeze them and give them to your dog before you leave the house.
Separation anxiety usually affects dogs the most in the first 20 minutes after their owner leaves – about the same amount of time a typical dog will spend chewing and licking the toy to get at the peanut butter inside. Your dog will love the challenge of getting rewarded with this treat, and you’ll love the fact that your favorite shoes are in one piece when you return.
- Exercise Often – Active dogs need exercise. Not only does a daily walk provide good cardio; it also helps them expend all that stored, restless energy. If you’re going to be leaving home for several hours, try to squeeze in a morning walk before you go so your pooch can relax while you’re away.
Cats, too, need exercise. Scratching posts and toys provide a good source of exercise and will help kitty destress when she’s feeling anxious.
- Keep a Radio On – A 2017 study by the Scottish SPCA and University of Glasgow found that music can decrease anxiety in dogs. The researchers played five different genres of music for dogs, rotating between soft rock, Motown, pop, reggae and classical. Their conclusion? The dogs spent significantly more time lying down and less time standing when the music was playing. The researchers also observed that the dogs were more likely to bark after the music stopped.
Interestingly, when the researchers played soft rock and reggae, the dogs’ heart rate variability increased, indicating they were experiencing less stress. The researchers also concluded that increasing the variety of music may help prolong the positive results.
In a separate study, researchers found that cats fancy classical music after fitting 12 cats who were undergoing neuter surgery with headphones. According to the report published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the classical music produced a relaxing effect, inducing small pupils and a slow heart rate. Not surprisingly, the headbanging sounds of AC/DC produced the opposite effect!
So before you take off on that road trip, try dialing in different forms of music and see how your pet reacts. Then leave the radio or TV on to help calm their anxious nerves.
- Destress with Lavender Oil – You might try sprinkling a few drops of lavender oil on a favorite blanket or pet bed to help calm your anxious cat or dog. A 2006 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) found that lavender oil can also be effective for dogs who tend to experience travel anxiety during a long road trip. Just a drop or two applied to a fabric is best – never apply essential oils directly to your pet as some can be toxic if ingested.
- Give Your Pet a Massage – In the case of loud noises, you might try reducing your dog or cat’s anxiety by massaging their feet, ears and the top of the head – all natural pressure points. Some owners have also found relief in anti-anxiety coats and sweaters that apply gentle pressure to their backs and legs.
- Keep It Familiar for Felines – Cats love routines. They want to eat the same time everyday, and they don’t like it when their feed bowl or bed has been rearranged in an unfamiliar location. These creatures of habit find safety and comfort in being fed, having their litter box cleaned and played with at set, consistent times of the day.
When planning for a vacation, it helps to let your pet sitter know the details of your cat’s routine and keep it consistent. For instance, if you typically feed your cat twice a day, ask your cat sitter to come to your house twice a day for feedings rather than change the routine to once daily.
- Give Cats a Place to Perch – Cats also like to feel in control of human interaction, so it’s best not to force them to cuddle but, rather, let them interact with you and any visitors on their own terms. They love to curl up in cozy spaces where they can feel safe, like a window sill or under a bed.
- Refocus an Anxious Horse – In horses, separation anxiety typically occurs when one has been separated from its companions. This can result in significant negative behavior, such as the horses “neighing” for each other, pacing or even aggressive behavior toward an owner. To help alleviate your horses’ separation anxiety, you might try taking them on short walks apart from each other then rewarding with a treat before reuniting them.
You can also try separating two or more horses in adjacent paddocks where they can still see each other. Try this for gradual, short bursts of time, then increase the time the horses are away from each other until their stress subsides.
Refocusing exercises, like walking through poles or other ground exercise, might also help distract a horse who’s feeling the pinch of separation anxiety.
- Try Crating – Some dogs find crates provides a safe, secure space where they can feel comfortable while you’re away. For others, the thought of being confined to a crate produces the opposite effect. So if you’re thinking about crating your dog before you leave for a short period of time, first experiment with the crate before you leave.
You might try coaxing your pet inside the crate with a treat or toy and then leaving the door open until your dog feels safe enough to be inside with the door closed. This may take several times before your dog gradually gets used to the idea of being inside the crate with the door closed.
- Don’t Punish Your Pet for Showing Anxiety – While it can break your heart to find your pooch destroyed that new pair of cowboy boots or your cat scratched your couch to shreds, you never want to punish an animal for showing signs of separation anxiety. Instead, try positive reinforcement techniques, like treats and toys to keep them calm and entertained while you’re away.
What are your favorite tips and techniques for calming your pet? Write me at kayle@kaylemartin.com and share your ideas!