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Why Your Pet’s Behavior May Be Different During Quarantine

August 17, 2020 by Mary Telesz

pet's behavior are unusual when facing stressThe COVID-19 lockdowns have given many pet owners more time to interact with their pets than they had before the lockdown. Your pets may be responding to the extra attention in ways that are surprising and, in some cases, confusing. As a pet owner, behavioral changes may worry you, but rest assured there is probably a perfectly acceptable reason your pet has changed recently. Below, check out what may be causing your pet’s change in behavior and whether it is something that needs to be addressed.

Has Your Pet’s Behavior Actually Changed?

Being able to interact with your pet every day for days on end has enabled you to communicate with your pet and observe your pet’s responses more closely than usual. Perhaps your pet’s behavior is just like it was before quarantine, but you were never able to notice it. Now that you and your pet can spend more time together, you have begun to see all of the ways your furry best friend tries to communicate with you.

On the other hand, you may not notice any change in your pet’s behavior at all. Your pet may be very adaptable and react fine to additional attention. If you have kept your pet’s schedule largely intact during quarantine, your pet may not be anxious about having you around more. By continuing to feed, walk and play at about the same time each day as you did before the lockdown, your pet may not notice or care about minor changes to their schedule.

Anxiety Based on Change in Routine

If, in fact, you have observed a change in your pet’s behavior, consider whether it is due to major sudden changes in daily routine. Be aware that stress in your pet can be attributed to changes in their routines. Like humans, your pet takes comfort in an established schedule and has come to expect certain things at a set time — such as feeding, sleeping, or walking. When that doesn’t happen, our pets often get stressed.

Respect Your Pet’s Sleep Needs

pet's behavior include a time set for sleepDogs need 12 to 14 hours of sleep each 24-hour period for good health. Older dogs and puppies need more, with puppies often sleeping anywhere from 15 to 20 hours per day. Cats need 12 to 16 hours of sleep each 24-hour period, and most of that is during daylight hours. Now that everyone is home, that quiet time is gone.

During quarantine, be sure you and your family are giving your pet the sleep time it needs to maintain a healthy mind and body. While you are at work and your kids are in school all day, your dog or cat takes advantage of the quiet time by sleeping for a good portion of that time. Some pets will seek out a quiet place where they can have some social distance, and they may resent human attempts to interact with them during those much-needed rest periods.

Increase in Anxiety and Stress Behaviors in Your Pet

Each animal will respond differently to a new lockdown routine. Some adjust quickly, but others may find the change stressful. Pets usually show stress by engaging in behavior that is out of the ordinary for them, or they may be doing what they always did when they are anxious, just a lot more of it.

Here are some behaviors you may notice during quarantine, and some things you can do to try to manage it:

Whining & Barking

Vocalizing is a common method of expressing anxiety. If it seems to be happening more often than it did before quarantine, try to identify a trigger. Is it happening more while outside on walks? Is the response out of the ordinary for that situation? Is it happening when your pet wants to be fed? Is it play? Rather than scold your pet for it, distract it with a chew toy or take it out for a walk. Avoid giving it food or you will simply reinforce the behavior.

Clinginess or Increased Desire to Be Near Owner

Some pets cannot get enough of their human companions. Having you around more may be so wonderful for your pet that it cannot bear to have you out of its sight. When it is time for you to go back to your pre-quarantine routine, your pet may have a serious problem with separation anxiety. One way to begin managing it now is to work with a professional pet sitter who can start getting to know your pet and be a welcome visitor when you do return to work.

Less Desire to Be Near Owner

Too much social interaction can spook a pet, especially one that is already on the timid side. If this is the case, give your pet some space. In fact, give it its own bed where it can go, and be sure that no one will disturb it when it is there. Also, as previously noted, make sure your pet has the alone time it needs for adequate sleep and rest.

Change in Eating Habits

If your pet is not eating like it normally does, stress may be to blame. As already mentioned, keeping your pet on its regular feeding schedule as well as its regular diet will help offset anxiety. Never hesitate to discuss any changes or issues with your vet, as it could be a sign of something more serious.

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

many reasons for a pet's behavior to changeFor help with your furry friends, contact the pet care experts at Paw Pals. They are available to spend quality time with your pet when you cannot and answer any questions about managing your pet during quarantines. They offer a variety of pet-care services and are made up of pet professionals with the utmost love for animals. For top-quality care, contact our expert today.

Filed Under: Pet Advice, Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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