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How To Recognise Signs Of Stress In Your Pets



Although it may often seem like our furry friends lead endlessly comfortable and fun lives, they can actually experience stress just like we do. Although they might not have jobs or families (most of the time), our animals can experience stress in some situations that we might also find stressful, namely instances where significant change occurs. This change might be related to an illness or some kind of important need not being met by an owner, but regardless of the situation, it’s something that needs to be paid special attention to. In this article, we take a look at a few signs that your pet might be having a stressful time.

Getting started with identifying issues

Although looking for cheap pet insurance in Australia for a pet that is demonstrating unusual behaviour might seem like the best solution, it’s often the case that you can help your pet all by yourself. This is obviously made more difficult by our furry friends not being able to vocalise what they need, which is why looking for the signs of stress can be so helpful – after all, ignoring these important warning signs can often come at the eventual cost of your pet’s health. There are many common signs of stress that develop in both cats and dogs, so developing an understanding of these first can help you remedy issues as they happen. The first of these is excessive grooming – new pet owners may think it’s normal for pets to be grooming themselves around the clock, but for many animals this can be an effective way to manage stress. If the stress is ongoing, it can actually get to the point where they pull out fur, which can quickly lead to skin disease and other ailments, plus it’s often very uncomfortable for pets to live with.

More warning signs to look out for

Another very clear indication of stress in a pet is demonstrated with the (often unpleasant) noises they make. For cats, this might mean meowing, howling or hissing, while in dogs this can manifest as excessive barking. It’s a good idea to work out where the animals tend to make these noises so that you can better establish the issue – for example, knowing that a car is hissing around a new animal that has been introduced into your household should be clear indicator that your cat is not alright with it. Similarly, finding that your dog is barking constantly can help you establish which of the common causes of the barking seems most appropriate to tackle, whether it be boredom, separation anxiety, or some similar issue with you or the environment around them. Another very common sign of a stressed animal occurs through your pet’s urination. This is particularly evident in cats, where they will urinate outside the confines of their litter box if exposed to a stressor, but dog can also urinate inside the house as a response to stress.

Treat the signs before it’s too late

Although identifying the signs of stress in a pet is not always simple a lot of the time, it’s extremely important to ensure that their needs are taken care of. Otherwise, this lack of attention may come at the cost of their health. If you are noticing your pet is acting strangely but are unable to determine a specific root cause for their behaviour, it’s never a bad idea to consult a vet. This way, you’ll be able to develop a much clearer understanding of how to treat your animal not only now, but in the future.