Orange County Animal Services is proud to join The Bark Report with a special column called “Paws and Effect.” This column will be dedicated to informative animal services and adoption topics such as the importance of spay and neuter programs, adopting and adapting during COVID-19, introducing new pets into your home, and tips for helping pets and people adjust during family gatherings and celebrations. Join us for this monthly column to help spread the word about helping pets in many ways!

 

Have you recently taken advantage of the fact that you are spending more time at home and you’ve adopted a new pet? If so, congratulations! Pets change our lives in so many wonderful ways. It’s especially beneficial to have their companionship as we all navigate through a historic global pandemic. However, it is important to consider how our human schedules affect pets at home.

Many stay-at-home schedule considerations for pets are similar to the training that you would implement under normal circumstances. For example, crate training for dogs and puppies can be incredibly helpful. And we highly recommend establishing routines (times for exercise, food, bathroom breaks, etc.) based on the fact that you may be returning to a normal work schedule where you will be away from home more often.

For cats and dogs, we really recommend that stay-at-home families make sure the pets get a bit of alone time each day. Just like people, pets often need to disconnect and decompress with a little relaxation time for themselves. And, if an entire family is at home wanting to shower them with attention, it can sometimes be difficult for them to get that time to themselves. Giving them this bit of time is also good practice for the home being calm and quiet when people to start to leave and get back to normal work and school routines. Also, providing pets with enrichment during their alone time is something everyone might want to consider. Puzzle toys that dispense treats or toys and games that encourage self-initiated play are some valuable enrichment tools.

When bringing a new pet into the home, it is incredibly important to take the time and introduce all pets properly. Making sure to have a well-devised plan is the key to safety for all involved. Successful introductions help to eliminate stress for pets and their owners, and those introductions also help set the tone for successful relationships between pets. We can provide many recommendations to help with introducing pets. For example: If you are introducing a cat into a home with a dog (or vice versa), we recommend separating them in your home at first in order to let them get used to each other’s smells and sounds before you begin monitored introductions. Slow, planned, monitored introductions are always best.

All things considered, this really is a great time to train or properly introduce pets if you are working from home! We just want to underscore the importance of helping new pets adapt and preparing for a time when human schedules change. We absolutely encourage everyone to adopt if they feel ready for a new best friend. Shelter animals need your help and adopting from your local shelter or rescue really is a great way to help animals and change your life in a very positive way.

 

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