Summer is ending and that means one thing: Back to School. For most people right now, images of school supplies, homework and a new fall wardrobe are dancing in parent’s heads. But there’s one thing people often forget about: the family pet.
It’s not abnormal for dogs and cats to get depressed when kids leave the house to head back to school – or go off to college.
Paul Mann, the Founder of Fetch! Pet Care gives the following tips to take right now to help avoid the Back-to-School funk for pets.
- Lots of exercise is a key. If you can exercise pets in the morning before you head to work, they’ll be so tired that there will be less time to think about the empty house they’re sitting in.
- Don’t make a big deal about your leaving. If you smother the dog or cat in kisses, they’ll be able to tell that something’s up and will get anxious while you’re away.
- Consider hiring a professional pet sitter for a mid-day dog walk or cat visit to break up the day. Even a half-hour walk or visit will give your pet the one-on-one personal attention they deserve, not to mention tire them out.
- Give your pet an old T-Shirt while you’re gone so that he can cuddle up with it and have a familiar smell.
- Get into a routine where you let the kids walk the dog after they get home from school – and before they start on homework. That way, the dog will look forward to the kids getting home from school.
- If one of the kids usually feeds and plays with the cats, try switching up the routine so that the cat gets used to other people in the house. Also consider having the cat sleep with a different family member so they’re less attached to the kids.
We thought these were all great tips. I want to add my own shout out too, many pets get left behind when children go away to school. Sadly, some of these pets end up in shelters. Please always consider adoption first when you decided to add a furry or feathered friend to your family. You are saving a life.
Does your pet get the “back to school blues”?
Very timely article, Aimee. I’ve recently had a shift in my own working hours, and with my kids heading back to school I am worried about our dog getting lonely (she’s an Alaskan Husky – so you can imagine what kind of mischief she might get up to if she’s bored!).
Luckily, we have very affectionate cats, and they do provide *some* companionship during the day. That helps, somewhat – but it’s no substitute for human interaction! This set-up *only* works because all our pets get plenty of face-time when we are home.
Many people who work long hours are tempted to get multiple animals on the idea that “they’ll keep each other company” – and all they get in the bargain is two bored, destructive animals instead of one.