Pets Made the Pandemic Better. Now They Need Our Help.
By Alexandra Dilley, MA Animal Behavior and CPDT-KA, of Humane Rescue Alliance and Jam Stewart of Mars Petcare
Life changed in many difficult ways during the pandemic, but one positive was pets.
They kept us company, gave us a reason to be active and entertained us in too many hilarious TikTok videos to count.
The comfort of pet companionship is so powerful that more than 11 million U.S. households added a new pet in 2020. Pet parents said their cats and dogs helped lower stress (78%), reduce boredom (75%) and gave a sense of hope (69%).*
While these wonderful benefits of pets will continue, life is changing again.
People are returning to workplaces and activities that keep them away from home for longer stretches of time. For dogs and cats, it’s potentially a sad or scary time — especially for those adopted during the pandemic who have only known a life where their people are always home.
Separation anxiety in pets can lead to fearful behaviors, reactivity, accidents, and other challenges. One of the biggest concerns is that pet parents who don’t know how to help pets through the transition may end up surrendering their dog or cat instead. That’s an outcome no one wants.
The best way to keep pets in their homes is to help pet parents through challenges, including separation anxiety.
Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) has over 150 years of experience serving communities to protect animals from harm, help pets stay with their families and strengthen the human animal bond.
At Mars, we believe in making a positive impact on society and creating better moments for the people and pets we love. Mars Petcare’s purpose — A Better World For Pets — means supporting research to understand and meet pets’ needs, increasing pet adoption and helping end pet homelessness.
So, we’re both committed to making sure pets have loving homes. The best way to keep pets in their homes is to help pet parents through challenges, including separation anxiety.
Below are some tips for those whose dogs or cats may struggle during pet parents’ transition back to the workplace.
There’s a lot of great advice out there. This is a compilation of tips from experts like HRA, Mars Petcare’s Waltham Petcare Science Institute and VCA Animal Hospitals.
For dogs and cats, it’s potentially a sad or scary time — especially for those adopted during the pandemic who have only known a life where their people are always home.
By sharing this advice, we hope pet parents can plan ahead and make their pets’ adjustment as smooth as possible.
7 Ways to Help Pets as Life Returns to Normal
1. Spend regular time apart. Try not to make an abrupt transition to spending lots of time away from home. Instead, start with small separations, like closing your pet in a separate room for a short period of time or leaving to go for a drive. This is known as “alone training.” Gradually increase the time, going at your dog’s pace. If you’re not sure how your dog is doing, you can get an internet camera set up in their area. HRA has a helpful video about this process that you can find here.
2. Minimize the fuss. You want to convey to your pet that your absence isn’t a big deal — that they don’t have to worry about being apart and that you aren’t worried either. Don’t sneak out but avoid dramatic or emotional hellos or goodbyes. Make departing and arriving seem natural and not notable. (But of course, give your pet plenty of attention at other times throughout the day!)
3. Monitor for anxiety. As you practice short separations from your pet, consider setting up a camera to watch how they react while you’re gone. Keep an eye out for pacing, barking, whimpering, destructive behavior or other issues. This will help you understand how your pet is coping and whether you can speed up or need to slow down the transition. Don’t scold a pet that reacts negatively while you’re away — this can increase their anxiety and associate the scolding with your absence. Again here, minimizing dramatic or emotional greetings is important to normalize being away.
4. Create a safe haven. Make a space in your home where your dog or cat feels safe and protected. If possible, set it up away from potentially scary outside noises, like traffic or construction, and leave on a TV or radio so your pet feels less alone. Give food and treats in this space, so they begin to see it as a favorite spot. Hide treats and toys for them to find while they’re there. You can also add a sweatshirt or blanket that smells like you, as a comfort.
5. Develop a predictable routine. Just like people, pets like consistency. They need to know they can count on their next walk, playtime or meal. Establishing a consistent routine — one that you can keep up in the future — will help make the transition easier. For example, get on a schedule of walks early in the morning and in the evening, so you can continue it without change after you go back to work.
6. Get some exercise together. There’s nothing like a fun activity to tire your pet out a bit before a period of alone time. Exercise can help them expend pent up energy, engage their minds and improve their mood (and yours!). Make sure exercise or active play is a regular part of every day, and schedule it strategically before alone time.
7. Ask for advice and help. If you find your pet is really struggling with separation, reach out for support. Family or friends might be able to help pet-sit or break up alone time with drop-in visits. You can engage a dog walker to provide a midday visit or take your dog to a daycare during the day while working on separation issues. Your vet may be able to help with advice or anti-anxiety medications, based on a deep knowledge of your pet. Your local shelter or rescue may offer training resources or a behavior specialist who can advise you.
Separation anxiety is a natural outcome of what we’ve all gone through over the past year, but pet parents can get through it with good advice and support from experts in their community.
By creating a structured schedule and secure base for your pet, you can help them learn how to cope with life while you are away. You can find more tips here from the Mars Veterinary Health group, in this article from a Mars pet behaviorist, and in this post from a Humane Rescue Alliance trainer.
Separation anxiety is a natural outcome of what we’ve all gone through over the past year, but pet parents can get through it with good advice and support from experts in their community. The pandemic brought a wonderful increase in pet ownership across the country. Let’s keep it that way.
Alexandra Dilley, MA Animal Behavior, CPDT-KA, is the Director of Animal Behavior & Training at the Humane Rescue Alliance, a position she has held since 2013. She is committed to helping bring pets and people together through a variety of training and behavior support programs that support pets from the shelter to home. Alexandra is a graduate of Wellesley College and holds a master’s degree from Hunter College, City University of New York, in Animal Behavior & Conservation.
Jam Stewart is Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Mars Petcare North America, leading company reputation initiatives including community engagement, consumer relations, brand public relations, internal communications, the Mars Volunteer Program, stakeholder strategies and corporate digital platforms. She’s the proud mom of two human kids and two fur kids — Jackson Ryder and Baxter, the “pandemic pup” her family fostered and then adopted in 2020. Jam sits on the boards of PEDIGREE Foundation and Greater Good Charities.
* Mars Petcare “Pets in a Pandemic” report, 2020.
