How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Pets | WIRED

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Published 2022-06-01

During the pandemic, 23 million American households adopted a pet. But now that owners are leaving animals home alone to go to work, are pets stressing out? Veterinarian Dr. Molly McAllister draws insights from data collected from hospitals and pet visits in 2021 to determine just how our pets may be feeling once we leave our homes.

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All Comments (21)

@alexanderhikel2350 2 years ago

I think I need advice for MY separation anxiety for my dogs lmao 🤣
@elcasho 2 years ago

Going to to grocery store for 15-20 minutes. On what planet is this possible?
@TheElusiveReality 2 years ago

its so hard not to give my dog a big greeting because i am also super happy to see him and i love how happy he gets
@BEERBOMB113 2 years ago

I really need to help my pitbull with his separation anxiety. My mom leaves him in the other room he will start crying like he's going to perish right there. It makes me sad and he needs to know it's ok if he's not always accessible to her.
@BatCaveOz 1 year ago

The real miracle is that she said "walk time" and her dog didn't start going nuts with excitement.
@chrisdeangerous 2 years ago

I, personally, would advise against associating treats with departure., especially in dogs already prone to separation anxiety. They might associate the treat with being left alone and it will not be a reward any more. The only thing that works is practice, practice, practice. Leave, come back. Leave again. Don't congratulate the dog for being alone. Your departure and arrivals need to become a natural occurrence and not a "special moment". Don't involve treats in this equation.
@fireinateacup89 1 year ago

The stereotype of cats being antisocial is the opposite of reality. They are extremely social animals and they need company!
@tombpunk 1 year ago

15-20 minutes?! Did she assume we are all mutants and simply teleports to the grocery store, steals some stuff and then teleports back?
@anikamaynard8132 2 years ago

I’d simply quit my job after seeing that face 🥺
@sxerosie 2 years ago

Good tips & Jack is so cute
@KatDJZ 2 years ago

Lord....I dogsit and let me tell you, pandemic dogs (and owners) are NUTS.
@PrincessDenyse 2 years ago

I'd REALLY like to know what the best pheromone for cats might be. I've tried several and man are they spendy!
@Jennifer-nq4yw 2 years ago

Wow!
@IzzySalami 1 year ago

Jack the Jack Russell 😂 Cute.
@lovinglife8966 1 year ago

Thanks imma send this to my sis
@msrainbowbrite 2 years ago

The thumbnail is a boxer and i'm watching this because of my needy "pandemic baby" boxer ... funny
@okhera1 1 year ago

Very Nice Bro! Get Good People!
@W_-sr5pn 2 years ago

Would I be able to mix both cat and dog pheromones together for them both have a calming environment? Or would one interfere with the other, and completely cancel each other out?
@purrhearts 2 years ago

I just want to say whoever you are that you are a beautiful human being ♥. Did you know that watching cats videos cause significant reduction in cortisol (a major stress hormone) ?? :)
@kunatip7 2 years ago

im worry. I never leave my cat alone more than a day