How to take care of your pet during the lockdown

By Medha de Alwis

The world has been caught in a whirlwind, and you are facing something you have never faced before in the past few weeks. Everything feels different, and returning to what it is was is not called ‘normal’ anymore. It is called the ‘new normalcy’. In the context of this unprecedented change, how do you think your pet feels?

It is a change

Though your pet gets all the meals, and perhaps more attention from you than they got before, do not think that all is well for your pet. Change, irrespective of whether it is positive or negative, is a change nevertheless; and for some pets, as much as for some humans, any change would pose a challenge. Accept the fact that it is a change and a challenge for your pet. Once you accept this fact, it is then easy to care for the pet while under lockdown.

Why locked down?

As you read, you may wonder how the lockdown affects your pet. If it is a dog, the outdoor walks may be restricted. But what if it is a cat, and if it is a cat who feeds very happily on rice and sardine? You may think that she is even happier than ever before with you around all the time. 

There is the catch! Her routine has changed as much as yours, too. If you generally leave to work, she would have been used to a good few hours of undisturbed sleep during the day, which is not the norm for her anymore. 

No doubt she may sleep, too, but of course, disturbances occur when the household is fuller, especially with children hardly leaving the house. Therefore your pet is locked down in her own way, and her routine has been challenged and peace shattered, in most cases than not. 

What can you do?

As you cannot go out, and it is difficult to ask the kids to keep quiet, maybe you can accommodate your pet with a quieter resting place than the one before, if it is a cat. You might notice that she now sleeps at a new place. If so, do not remove her from there, because the change of resting place is her comfort zone. 

If your pet is a dog who is used to having regular walks in the street, at least try to take him out for a mini-walk around your house. Dogs love the leash being put on and the entire saga of you getting ready in your outdoor attire. 

So, you can still give him that pleasure by putting on your sneakers and taking him around your house or up and down your front lawn with his leash in place. This is no substitute for the long walk he loves, but something is of course better than nothing. 

Talk and understand

As much as us, pets want to be spoken to and understood. If you are an animal lover who treats your pet as a family member, you already know this. Talk to your pet about your own feelings about the lockdown, curfew, the new trend of Zoom meetings, etc. It will soothe her to know that she is important enough to be spoken to. Vocalise to her what you think she feels. Ask her how she feels about you being home all the time. Ask her how she likes the new food and if she is missing her pet food. These conversations will create a sense of understanding between you and she.

Involve others

You know the challenges that come with spending more time with the members of your family. If you have more than one pet, the change of the home environment may affect the relationship among them, too. 

Your daughter may pet one dog, while your son is fond of the cat. True, they have always been like that, but things have become obvious now due to the change of situation. Though everything cannot be changed or stopped, you being sensitive to such situations may help avoid some hurt. Please be mindful that pets get hurt a lot, though they have too big a heart and will wag their tail and forget it altogether.

Reward

Challenges become sweet when rewards are plenty; and the rewards can come in different forms, such as kind attention, treats, or even just being empathetic. Understand that we are all in this together, the pets and you. Also appreciate the time you get to spend with them, which you wished for years that you had. If your dog has gotten a bit moody and your cat a bit cranky, just take it with a smile because lockdown is not forever!