Living in the USA during the COVID epidemic introduced us to two things: Daytime pajamas and pets on conference calls. Lets be honest and admit that our pets really soaked up the benefits of having their humans home all day to play, snuggle, and show them off on virtual meetings and happy hours. Fido has been having the best time ever with you being home and by now he’s probably gotten used to hearing your voice 24/7.
However, now that your fur baby has finally gotten used to your new normal, most states including California have started to loosen stay-at-home restrictions and we are seeing an uptick in traffic, socialization (at a distance of course), and non-essential retail shopping. For the pets that really love their human connection time, they are going to feel anxiety and potentially a sense of loneliness and guilt. What does this “new normal” mean for your pets and the change they are about to once again experience? How do you help them cope?
To help your pet deal with the change of being left alone again for long periods at a time here are a few tips from our Pet Experts:
- Get back to your regular feeding schedule as soon as possible. Since you have been home more often, your pet might now be eating 4-6 times per day. To begin adjusting them back to a regular 2-3 times a day feeding schedule you’ll want to cut back one meal per week, ensuring they are comfortable each step of the way.
- Practice leaving her for at least short periods of time. Go for a walk, go for a drive, don’t take your dog with you on every errand so that they can get used to that old schedule again.
- Slowly reintroduce them to new people and dogs. A dog walker is a nice solution not only to get them out of the house without you, but to also give your pup a change of scenery and interesting change of routine with new scents.
- Leave your dogs or cats with safe and independent activities, such as engaging toys that hold a treat inside that the pet needs to work to get to like a Kong stuffed with peanut butter or a scratch pad with catnip.
- Schedule your grooming appointment and get them used to the pet spa again. After so many months without a professional groom, many long-haired pets can build painful matting in their fur or nails can grow so long they curl into the paw pad. Groomers are expected to be very busy now that they are opening up, and you’ll want to get on their schedule.
Lastly, if you adopted or fostered a pet over the pandemic, congratulations and thank you! Now, the first thing you’ll want to do is invest in a good dog trainer. Most rescued pets come with some kind of less-than-favorable behavior and you’ll want to nip that in the bud especially when you are not home to correct them.
At FIDUS Pet Concierge, we offer a wide variety of holistic pet services designed for the apartment-living pet. From Dog Grooming, Cat Grooming, and Self Serve Dog Wash, to Dog Walking, and Pet Sitting- We’ve got you covered. Our FIDUS Spa and Boutique is located at Torrey Gardens Luxury Apartment Complex in Carmel Valley, San Diego and our team services Torrey Gardens, La Jolla Crossroads, and 360 Luxury Apartment Complex and their residents.