Five tips to prepare pets for your return to work
After reintroducing its guidance to work remotely where possible on 8 December, the government has now announced that staff in England is no longer required to work remotely. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that people “should now speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office”.
Some offices are pet-friendly, but it is not always possible to take our pets to work with us. As many return to the workplace, pets left once again alone for several hours may struggle to adjust – especially the so-called “lockdown pets”.
PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing says, “The pandemic has turned our normal routines upside down, and our pets are affected just as much as we are. According to our PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report 2021, nearly one in five (18 per cent) dogs in the UK acquired since March 2020 have shown signs of distress when left alone.
“For dogs acquired before March 2020 the figure is 5 per cent. Signs of separation anxiety, or separation-related behavior (SRB) can vary from excessive whining and barking, destroying things, loss of toilet training, trying to escape, depression and inactivity.”
Downing is giving working pet owners a few tips to make the transition as wasy as possible for their pets.
1. Keep them company
“Many of us have responsibilities away from home that we just can’t avoid. Make sure pets aren’t left alone too long by popping home on your lunchbreak or getting a neighbour to check in once or twice a day. If that’s not possible, use professional services like pet sitters and doggy day care.”
2. Create a safe space
“Give your pet a space in the home they can call their own, where they know they will be safe while you’re away. Make this area free from noise, comfortable and relaxing with toys and chew items to help to create a safe haven for them. By doing so, we provide a place to escape anything that might be scary.”
3. Ease into new routines
“Just like we’ve had to get back into the swing of normality again, it really helps our pets if we can ease them into new routines. Use the same word as a cue such as ‘leaving’ and something visual like placing a certain object in the same place so your dog understand this is when they will be left alone.
“When getting your pets used to being left, leave them alone for short periods of time, gradually increasing the length of time every time after that when they are comfortable. This way, they’ll soon become used to you leaving and coming back and won’t be anxious about not knowing when they are going to be left.”
4. Stimulation
“One of the simplest actions we can take to prevent our pets from getting bored is giving them something to do. Feeder toys, stuffed with paste and peanut butter and then frozen, are excellent for keeping their brains active for long periods of time – and may remove the temptation to destroy household items too!”
5. Set a calming atmosphere
“There are a number of ways you can form a tranquil environment for your pet. We recommend using special items like plug-in diffusers and collars that release natural soothing pheromones, creating a calming atmosphere while you’re away. Think of this as turning your home into a furry friend spa!”