Christmas and new year are stressful times for our pets. From fireworks to house guests, our animal companions can often feel overwhelmed. But while we do all we can to quell their anxieties during the festive period, many of us fail to recognise everyday events that could potentially be causing our furry friends just as much stress. There is nothing worse than seeing your pet, a member of your family, stressed and anxious. Here are 4 things you didn’t realise might be stressing out your pet and some tips and suggestions which might help them.

1. Re-decorating your home

While many of us are aware that moving home can be a stressful time for our pets, we often fail to realise that re-decorating and re-arranging your furniture can create the same stress for animals. While for us humans, moving may feel like a fresh start, our pets can become incredibly attached to their environment and crave the familiarity of their old home. While re-arranging your furniture, remember that you are changing your pet’s territory, which could cause them stress.

While this shouldn’t mean that you cannot redecorate, you may want to consider using a natural calming product to help with your pet’s anxiety and help them get used to their new space.

2. Taking a ride in the car

To some pets, a ride in the car evokes a tail-wagging excitement, however, other pets are not always as thrilled at the idea. They no longer have the freedom to roam, they aren’t on their own territory anymore, the motion of your vehicle may cause feelings of nausea, or the sound and vibrations of the music and engine could simply feel overwhelming to them.

The more a pet travels in the car, the more comfortable it will become. While starting with smaller journeys before building up to bigger trips may help, using natural calming products on your pet’s first few trips could also assist in the transition. As well as this, it’s a good idea to stop frequently on long journeys and give your pet a break from the sensory overload of travelling in a car.

3. The calm before a storm

Some pets, especially birds and dogs, find themselves trembling at the thought of thunder. While some have speculated that pets are more susceptible to the pressure changes in the atmosphere that these storms cause, others have concluded that our pets’ sensitivity to sound leaves them wary of the loud bangs and rumbles that often accompany storms and are able to detect them before they are here.

Either way, as a pet owner, there is a lot you can do to help your pet, but controlling the weather is not on that list. In this situation, comforting your pet and offering it attention will help to an extent, but in serious cases of stress and anxiety, herbal remedies may be just what the doctor ordered to help in relieving the tension bad weather can often cause in our animals.

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