5 WAYS TO CALM YOUR CATS AND DOGS

5 WAYS TO CALM YOUR CATS AND DOGS

Dogs and cats can get stressed out quite easily. Whether we’re moving, leaving for the day, the kids are screaming or any one of a number of reasons, it’s important to remember how sensitive our animal friends are.

Very commonly, animals who are stressed out react in an anxious way. They may exhibit compulsive behaviour such a

s spinning, chewing, panting, hiding, scratching furniture, spraying, marking, etc. It is EXTREMELY important to avoid punishing and/or yelling at our animal family members when they exhibit these signs. This is because your behaviour will influence your animals’ behaviours. If you yell and get upset, you will be facilitating more stress within your animal. The more stressed out your animal gets, the more likely she or he will be to fall ill, and of lesser importance, will cause more of the same undesirable behaviours.

When your animal exhibits compulsive behaviour, she or he is trying to TELL YOU SOMETHING, not upset you. Animals are almost never intentionally spiteful. Given that they cannot tell us outright what is bothering them, they feel that they have to SHOW you that something is wrong in order for you to fix it.

Here are 5 easy ways to calm your animals down:

1. Instead of yelling or getting upset, acknowledging to your animal that you are aware that she or he is in distress is a much healthier and calming way to address the issues at hand. Though most animals do not understand every word we say, they absolutely understand intonation and intention. By calmly walking over to your animal friend and telling her in a soft voice that you can see she is upset and that you are here to help may take the edge off. Animals only respond well to loving vibrations. The more you show that you’re freaked out, the more your animal will react to that vibration. The more you show her that you understand her and that you love her unconditionally, the more she will respond to that.
2. If your animal suffers from separation anxiety, playing classical music while you’re out will enhance his relaxation. Animals respond well to this type of music as opposed to other types of music.
3. Lavender scented diffusers are a common and effective way to calm animals. DO NOT EVER put oils onto animals. It can be FATAL. Their skin absorption rate is extremely rapid and the oil may get into their bloodstream and can be fatal. That said, buying a lavender hydrosol spray or putting an oil diffuser out of their reach will allow the scent to fill your home appropriately and calm your animal.
4. Rescue Remedy is a Bach Flower Essence that is HIGHLY effective for relaxing and calming your animal. If you are planning to take a long trip or have to take your cat to the vet down the street and she hates cars, Rescue Remedy is the best way to go. If you are changing residences or bringing new animals or family members into your home and your current animal is very sensitive to noise and energy, administering the recommended dosage of Rescue Remedy really goes a long way to aid the adjustment period. See health care practitioner for accurate dosage. Dosage depends on size of animal.
5. Perhaps the most effective treatment for highly strung animals is ENERGY WORK. Animals love Reiki and all other types of energy work. They are far more sensitive to it than people are. Remember, animals are entirely spiritual beings and as such love to be reminded of where they came from- their life force energy. By practicing Reiki or other forms of healing on your animals daily, you will absolutely notice a difference in their overall well-being. They will be happier, better adjusted, and healthier; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. One of the greatest parts of most healing practices is that energy work can be done on your animals both when they are there in front of you and also from any distance away. That is to say, if you travel a lot for work or play and your animals stay home, most energy work practices work from any distance away. You can even treat your animals in Canada from Australia! For some, this concept may be slightly overwhelming. There is plenty of information out there from teachers and healers that can easily explain how this works. Reiki is medically proven to reduce stress and anxiety in animals and people.

These are five easily attainable treatments for anxious animals. Before changing your animal’s routine, it’s important to take note of where their stress is coming from. If it’s possible, eliminating or reducing that stress may be necessary for your animal’s well being. If for whatever reason, the reduction of these stresses is not possible, the above methods can surely help!