As I sit here writing this, I hear my cat snoring. She is sleeping on my desk as I type. My husband and I demolished our guest room to create a new office for me (a clear necessity in the work-from-home routine), but I would have been clawed to death if I did not plan space in the new room for the felines in my life.

Some might argue that our domestic animals have had it pretty easy since the pandemic began. However, some pets have been negatively affected by their humans being home more.

“Pets thrive on routine and predictability,” says Dr. Melinda Schwoegler, Chief of Staff at The Animal Hospital in Slingerlands. “The routine that they were used to when we were all leaving to go to work, has been completely upended.”

Dr. Melinda is responsible for saving at least 5 of 9 lives of my late Georgie, and I will not see any other veterinarian. So I trust her implicitly when she says that my cat following me to the bathroom since I’ve been home could actually be cause for concern.

Dr. Melinda says that a lot of her clients are reporting that their animals are acting differently since the pandemic began in March. She doesn’t want to alarm anyone, and also suggested it’s possible we’re all just noticing behaviors that we wouldn’t have noticed if we were at the office (the outside-the-home office, that is).

However, specific behaviors can be attributed to an increase in stress or anxiety, such as clinginess, hiding, cowering, running away, pacing, circling, destructive behaviors, out of the box elimination, excessive grooming, appetite changes, or reflux and digestion issues.

My cat, the snoring one, Adelaide, was diagnosed with indigestion. I brought her into Dr. Melinda with one symptom: grinding her teeth while eating. I thought the only thing wrong could be some sort of tooth problem, which can cost a pretty penny when treating any dental issue in felines (or dogs). So I was pleasantly surprised when all the tests and bloodwork came back negative and the final diagnosis was indigestion.

But I was also, like, “what?” How can a cat get indigestion? Apparently, the same way humans can, but it can be caused by different things. Animals pick up on things from their humans, like illness and stress. No one understands why or how because it’s intangible, but our animals get it. They get us on a deeper, intuitive level.

We often seek comfort from our animals during stressful times, but that’s not necessarily good for them. Maybe Fido doesn’t want an extra walk today even though the sun is shining and you are bored. Maybe Socks doesn’t want to sit on your lap while you binge watch another true crime series. Dr. Melinda says it’s important to give our animals some space.

“Try to keep the structure of your and the animal’s day as much as possible. Keep things as normal as possible.” She recognizes this is difficult right now, especially as rumors of another shutdown are starting to circulate because positive COVID cases keep increasing. “Just try to give them the space they need, the space they had before.”

Dr. Melinda has some other tips as well to help keep our companions stress-free:

  • Keep human engagement predictable, almost on a schedule
  • Keep feeding times regular
  • Leave out engagement toys while you’re working, like treat finders for cats, and food puzzles for dogs.

“The pandemic has highlighted how much we depend upon our animals for comfort,” says Dr. Melinda. “I think we owe it to them to make sure we are addressing their needs. They are silent sufferers so it’s important that we pay attention to their cues that something may be amiss.”

If your animal already has issues with separation anxiety, it is important to retrain him or her to know what it’s like while you’re away all day, so that this doesn’t create a shock as you (hopefully, eventually,) return to the office on a regular basis. Dr. Melinda warns against doing this “cold turkey.”

If stress and anxiety start to affect your pet’s quality of life, there are medications available, and you should talk to your veterinarian about treatment options.

As an aside: The Animal Hospital has won the Capital Region Living Magazine Besties four consecutive years, and voting is open now to help them win a fifth year in a row.

Now I just need to work on my anxiety so my cat can calm down.