Separation anxiety in pets has become commonplace post the lockdown

With offices finally reopening after months of working from home pet parents are realising that their pooches and felines who had become accustomed to extended periods of togetherness must now learn to adjust to their new schedules and some alone time And in many cases they are realising their office routines are stressing their pets out ldquoDuring the early days of the pandemic there was an increase in firsttime pet ownership as many sought the comfort of a furry companion These pets are more likely to experience stress and anxiety as theyrsquove spent their formative months in the WFH routine In case of pets that have been adopted before the lockdown they may experience some boredom but the chances of them exhibiting separation anxiety are lowerrdquo explains Raj Mariwala an animal behaviourist and founder of Citizen K9Raj MariwalaAdjusting to the new normalldquoWhen my husband and I began to leave the house after the second lockdown even for our routine chores our oneandahalfyearold cat Cindy became quite anxious We live on the fourth floor and we could hear her wails until the first floor which broke our heart She would sit by the door and wait until we returned roam around restlessly and stop eating We realised that we had to reassure and comfort her We started out with one of us leaving the house and the other staying back Then we both began to leave the house for short durations gradually increasing the time we spent away from homerdquo explains Arati Kanetkar a lawyer of the cat she and her husband Anuraag adopted during the first lockdownThe Kanetkars with CindySeparation anxiety is expressed by animals in various ways mdash in the case of marketing professional Shruti Ghuryersquos fiveyearold rabbit Bunnymund he began to pluck his fur out stopped eating and became very anxious when Ghuryersquos mother was away ldquoWe make sure to reassure him of our return by feeding him his favourite foods and spending more time with him when we come back home Our two cats who we adopted later also play with him I think itrsquos important to understand that your pet might go through these symptoms recognise them and reassure your petrdquo she saysNeha Rajadhyaksha with DodoConstructive expressionNeha Rajadhyaksha a blogger had a similar experience with the pup she adopted the day before the lockdown was announced ldquoI did not leave the house at all even for groceries during that time My oneandahalfyearold pup Dodo saw me constantly Her separation anxiety became so acute that I couldnrsquot change my clothes or even go to the bathroom without her mdash she would try to scratch the door down When I began to step out of the house for shoots she would howl inconsolably I began to separate her for a few minutes a day at first and rewarded her when she did not howl or panic My other oneyearold dog Celio who is much more independent has begun to engage and play with her We also try to exhaust her before we leave by playing with her or taking her on a long walk just before leaving the house Wersquove found that pent up energy is often expressed as anxietyrdquo she saysShruti Ghurye with BunnymundEngage themMariwala emphasises working some distance into your regular routine to get your pet acclimatised ldquoInstead of having your pet beside you all day while you work on your laptop give them some alone time Also engage them with isolation toys which are safe for them to use when theyrsquore alone that will keep them occupied physically and mentally If your pet has never stayed alone before you could consider monitoring them via your phone or laptop camera and watch out for signs of anxietyrdquo she recommends Your pet greeting you enthusiastically when you return is normal however your cat ripping up a cushion within 15 minutes of your departure is not Mariwala recommends you contact a behaviourist if your pet is exhibiting extreme stress Finally it helps to do some research about available creches or sitters in case of emergencies ldquoIf your pet doesnrsquot like to be removed from the home environment or has difficulties interacting with strangers day care may not be an ideal solution mdash your pet may develop new behavioural problemsrdquo she cautions