Are we stressing out our pets?
“We live in a complex hurry up world. There is stress everywhere in our life. We are running here and there, often not taking the time to enjoy fully what we are doing before going to the next task at hand.
Did anyone take the dog for a walk? Did anyone see the cat today? Why did the cat pee in the living room again today? The dog got into the trash again. What makes the dog want to chew everything? Damn animals!!
Guess what…our animals are often a reflection of us and our moods. If we are stressed, so are our animals. We live in a world of antianxiety, antidepressant meds due to our self-inflicted stress and now it is overflowing to our pets.
One of the most common behavior problems I see in our hospital is anxiety. It can be anxiety over separation from their owners, or to loud noises such as thunderstorms or fireworks or just generalized anxiety. I think that much of this comes from a reflection of our hectic lives. Our pets are often a mirror of us. Maybe they are telling us to slow down and smell the roses a bit? You know, dogs and cats are smarter than what we give them credit for.”
