Spot the signs that your pet may be feeling anxious or stressed

There are many different ways in which our pets can show us that they are feeling anxious, stressed or fearful, though signs can be quite subtle and easily missed in the early stages. Generally dogs and cats will initially exhibit more subtle/ mild behaviours, and if not addressed at that point, the behaviours can escalate to become more serious and severe. Below we can see typical mild, moderate and severe behaviours which may be seen in stressed or anxious animals. 

As pet owners, it is important to be able to recognise the mild signs of anxiety that our pets may show, so that we can offer them support at this point in time. Doing so may help to avoid their behaviour worsening.

Sometimes addressing our pet’s innate needs can help to improve their emotional wellbeing enough to reduce undesirable behaviours. In other cases professional behavioural support may be required. Check-out some of our other articles for further assistance in addressing your pet’s problematic behaviour:

-        Considering your pet’s emotional needs 

-        Selecting a suitable behaviourist 

-        Top tips whilst awaiting behavioural support