Handling Your Pet's Separation
Anxiety: Prevention and Calming
Do your pets freak out when left home alone?
Destructive behavior, housetraining accidents, and loud vocalizing are common
separation anxiety symptoms in both dogs and cats. But you can help prevent and
manage this stressful issue.
Let’s go over tactics for handling separation anxiety
in your clingy canine or feline.
## Why Dogs Get Separation Anxiety
Dogs are naturally social, pack-oriented
animals. When left suddenly alone, they often panic due to:
- 💔
Stress from isolation and abandonment
- 🕑
Disruption in routine and unpredictability
- 🚪
Fear of strange sounds or sights from outdoors
- 👻
Over-attachment and over-reliance on owners
- 👶
Trauma from rehoming, early weaning, or neglect
- 😟
Boredom and lack of exercise
Separation anxiety typically escalates over time
without intervention. The destruction is not spiteful punishment - it’s panic!
## Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Common behaviors when left alone include:
- 😭
Pacing, howling, barking
- 🚽
Potty accidents
- 💥
Destructive chewing of walls, floors, doors, windows
- 🐾
Digging, scratching frantically at exits
- 😦
Depression, lethargy, loss of appetite
- 🐾
Self-harming licking, biting or chewing
at paws or skin
- 😓
Constantly following owners around and underfoot
Don’t punish these behaviors. They require
compassionate management and training.
## Preventing Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Stop separation anxiety before it starts
using these tactics:
- 👶
Acquire from reputable breeders or rescue at 8+ weeks for stability.
- 👨👩👧👦 Socialize thoroughly to
prevent over-bonding with just you. Introduce to other friendly pets.
- 🏡
Provide enriching toys like puzzle feeders and chews to prevent boredom.
- 🏃♀️ Ensure adequate daily exercise -
tired dogs fret less.
- 📦
Crate train using treats and positive reinforcement. Den-like crates become
calming.
- 🕑
Stick to consistent routines of feeding, pottying, training and
exercising.
- 👋
Practice brief absences from early on. Vary duration and don’t make departures
emotional.
Raising pups to be secure and independent prevents
clinginess and panic. An ounce of prevention truly helps!
## Managing Existing Dog Separation Anxiety
For anxious pups, also try:
- 🎶
Playing calming music like reggae or soft rock.
- 💤
Feeding meals early and exercising to promote sleeping, not fretting.
- 🚪
Blocking access to windows and doors to minimize escape attempts and barking
triggers.
- 👃🏼
Using calming pheromone sprays and plug-ins.
- ⏱️
Breaking up alone time into smaller increments - don't make absences drastic.
- 🥱
Providing recently worn shirts in crates so your scent remains.
- 👀
Giving interactive puzzle toys stuffed with treats to dispel boredom.
- 💊
Talking to your vet about anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication for severe
cases.
Patience, compassion and management helps dogs overcome
clingy behaviors.
## Why Cats Get Separation Anxiety
Cats also suffer when routines are
disrupted and preferred people disappear. Triggers include:
- 😾
Changes in feeding, play, litterbox cleaning or living environments
- 🔑
Loss of access to favorite spaces, perches or hiding spots
- 🏠
Moving homes or introducing new family members
- 😿
Adoptions, transitions from foster homes or shelters
- 💔
Death or loss of another home pet they’ve bonded closely with
Catch anxiety early before cats resort to urinating,
scratching or self-harm.
## Signs of Separation Anxiety in Cats
Watch for these behaviors when people leave
the home:
- 😸
Excessive vocalizing like meowing, yowling or growling
- 🚽
Inappropriate urination or defecation
- 🏃🏻♀️ Agitation, pacing and restlessness
- 👋👋
Excessive greeting behaviors when people return
- 💔
Depression, lethargy, appetite loss, grooming neglect
- 😿
Hiding and antisocial behavior
- 👅👅
Over-grooming, licking, bald spots
- 💥
Destructive scratching of walls, furniture, floors
Again - never scold anxiety! These behaviors signify
underlying stress.
## Calming Cat Separation Anxiety
Try these tactics for stressed out felines:
- 🏡
Maintain consistent routines for feeding, bathroom cleaning, play sessions.
- 🚪
Apply synthetic pheromone sprays to all doorways and cat beds.
- 🌿
Use calming nutraceuticals in food or treats.
- 🛏
Ensure favorite perches, cat trees and hiding spots are available.
- 😻
Provide puzzle feeders. Portion meals into frequent smaller servings.
- 🎶
Play calming music like classical or reggae to muffle outside noises.
- 🖼️
Give access to windows with outdoor views.
With compassion and
adjustments, clingy cats gain confidence in being left periodically. Consult
your vet too if anxiety persists. With work, happy homecomings can replace
panicked departures for pets!
