Follow these tips for helping pets adjust to separation anxiety

During the pandemic, people who had been pushing off getting a pet saw the lockdown as the perfect opportunity to adopt a pet. But does getting a pet during COVID cause them to be extra attached to their owner(s)? 

When people adopt pets, they usually go to work or school, but because of the lockdown, it was hard to do that, so pets didn’t get used to their owners being away. This results in people’s pets being way too used to us being home. Now that school is back in session and people are going back to work, pets have to adjust to their owners not being home. When owners get home, their pet goes wild to greet them at the door. 

Most “COVID pets” probably aren’t used to other animals either due to lockdown. They might be extra scared or overprotective when faced with another pet. 

So how do we help these pets to get used to their owners being away and get used to other animals? Well, you can help treat separation anxiety using a calming product, but the pet also just has to get used to their owners being away. Over time the pet will learn to be OK. They’ll learn that their owner will be back. 

As for pets getting used to other animals, that’s also something they’ll get used to with time. If they’re meeting another pet for the first time and they get angry, they need to be left alone. They have to get used to each other, and if they are getting taken away from the situation, this will never happen. Even biting is normal for first time interactions. 

Pets adopted during COVID are going to be more attached because of the lockdown but it’s OK because separation anxiety and nervousness around other pets can be treated. It just takes time and patience.