Pawsitive Preparation
The journey into parenthood is unique for everybody, and it involves huge changes to our lives. There is so much to learn and do to prepare for the arrival of a child, and it can be a daunting task. It can be easy to overlook certain things in our preparations; one such thing that we might not consider is to prepare our fur babies for the upheaval that comes along with bringing a baby into the home.
Dogs and cats can undergo a lot of stress when their lives and routines are changed so drastically, and it can potentially cause a lot of problems for families. Luckily, you’re not alone in this transition; we can help! But first, we should understand how greatly your fur babies can be affected when your baby arrives, and why it’s important to prepare yourself and your pets in advance.
Life for pets in a household with no children is usually calm, quiet, and predictable. They are lavished with attention from their humans and given free reign to do as they please with few surprises. They are generally fed and walked at the same time every day, and the biggest stressor they face is when their humans leave the house without them. That all changes immensely when a child is added to the mix.
Even during the pregnancy stage, things can become unfamiliar and overwhelming, causing stress. Think about all of the new items and equipment that are involved with a new baby: crib, bassinet, swing, changing table, diapers, baby clothes, car seats, strollers, blankets, toys, lotions… And that’s just to name a few. Then think about how the activities and habits of their humans might change: more time spent away from home for appointments, less time spent playing with or petting them, shorter and/or less frequent walks, and so on.
Some pets may tolerate these changes with little difficulty, but others can be greatly affected. Now consider how many more extreme changes occur once the baby is born: all the new and overwhelming sounds and smells, the mystifying tiny creature that steals all of their humans’ attention, the new rules about where they can go in the house, the changes to their schedules, etcetera. It’s a LOT for them to handle, and even the most laid-back pet is likely to experience stress in these situations.
The signs and symptoms of stress can vary greatly from pet to pet and can sometimes be hard to notice, especially with cats. We can help you learn how to recognize signs of stress in your pets so you can address the problem as soon as possible and prevent the condition from becoming chronic. Behavioural and health effects of stress in pets can include:
Inappropriate elimination (i.e. pooping and peeing behaviours and locations)
Overgrooming, causing bald spots or rashes
Irregular appetite (eating too much or too little)
Destructive behaviour (ex. chewing on or eating things they shouldn’t, digging, etc.)
Diarrhea and/or vomiting
Lethargy and depression
Weight loss or gain
Tension, restlessness, and/or fearfulness
Disobedience
Worsening of other health conditions
Aggression
Clinginess and/or anxiety
Excessive vocalizations (whining, meowing/barking, etc.)
Reduced immune response (which can lead to illnesses)
Heart disease and stomach ulcers
Excessive shedding or hair loss
We obviously want to help our fur babies to be happy and healthy and to behave well, so it’s important to prepare them and your home as much as possible before your baby arrives to ease the transition and reduce stress.
Learning how to establish safe interactions between pets and children is also of vital importance. The WHO estimates that 4.5 million dog bites occur every year in the United States; the majority of those are on children, often from the family pet. The risk of severe injury is greater in children due to their size; bites to the head and neck are far more common in children, and the results can be devastating. Cat bites are the second most frequent type of animal bite worldwide and account for over 66 000 emergency department visits in the United States every year. Cat bites carry the risk of infection from many different bacteria, and are twice as likely to become infected than dog bites. And again, children are more at risk of injury to the head and neck. Bites from animals can be damaging psychologically as well as physically, often leading to intense fear of the animal, anxiety, or even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To prevent these situations, we need to learn how to teach proper treatment of animals to our children and ensure safe interactions.
If all of this information has left you with a sense of dread or helplessness, fear not! We can help to guide you through this whole process. We are developing a workshop that will teach you how to recognize signs of stress in your animals and provide practical information about how to prepare your home and pets for the arrival of your child. It will also teach you to recognize body language cues from your pets when they feel uncomfortable and how to create safe and respectful relationships between your children and your pets. Feel free to reach out for more information, and keep an eye on our class page for when our Pawsitive Parent Prep Class becomes available! We’d love to help you as you add a new, slightly-less-furry baby into your family!
Written by Nicole Preiss, Certified Dog Trainer and Doula with Full Circle Birth Co.
