Help Pets Be Less Anxious At Home

Pets experience anxiety for many reasons. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, pet anxiety is often a byproduct of aging, separation and/or fear.

Recognizing the causes of anxiety in a pet can help pet parents figure out how to make a home more comfortable and alleviate its anxiety. There are various remedies that may work.

• Introduce new people and stimuli gradually.

• Try counterconditioning. According to the AKC, counterconditioning changes the pet’s response to stimuli responsible for anxiety by replacing anxious or aggressive behavior with desirable behavior, such as sitting and foc...