Just like you, your pet will experience different emotions on different days. After a long walk to the park, your dog might feel exhausted and happy. If you scolded your dog for being disobedient, it might tuck its tail under and sulk in the corner. One emotion that animals can experience is jealousy. Jealousy can be directed toward a new pet in the house or a new family member, such as a newborn infant.
While jealousy is normal in most circumstances, pet parents should know how to address this issue before it becomes a larger problem.
Tips for Dealing with a Jealous Pet
If you are introducing a new family member into the home, furry or otherwise, follow the below steps to help ease potential jealousy.
Equal Affection
If you’ve recently brought a new pet into the home, be sure to split up your time evenly between pets. Although it’s tempting to focus on your new family member, your established pet needs equal time.
If you spend 30 minutes training a new puppy, be sure to spend 30 minutes playing exclusively with your cat. Likewise, if you reward your new puppy with a tasty treat, like a NuVet Plus wafer, make sure you treat your other pet as well.
When your cat knows that you will still spend time with them, their feelings of jealousy will likely subside quicker.
Boundaries
Establish boundaries for the new addition in your home. For instance, if you have brought home a new puppy and your first dog is feeling jealous, be sure to keep their toys separate.
Do not allow the new puppy to gnaw on the first dog’s toys. The same goes for when a new baby arrives — be sure that the dog and the baby have their own play things, and try to establish proper social boundaries.
Stick to Routine
Try to avoid disrupting your original pet’s routine. Pets can become quite accustomed to their routine, and it helps them to feel safe and secure.
If you bring home a new pet or baby, try to make sure that your first pet stays on the same schedule. Abiding by the same schedule will help your original pet maintain a sense of normalcy. The less change to your first pet’s everyday life, the less it will feel like its life has been disrupted.
Quality Time
Be sure to spend some alone time each day with your original pet. In many cases, a jealous pet simply wants more attention from its owner. By giving your first pet special time with just you, it won’t be as apt to jealousy of another pet or baby in the house.
Take your dog for a walk, or spend time scratching your cat’s belly. Make it a priority to fit in a few minutes of uninterrupted time with your pet each day.
A Healthy Pet
Of course, it’s important to keep your pet’s mind, body and spirit healthy at all times. The best way to do this is to add a pet nutritional supplement, such as NuVet Plus, to their diet.
This specialized formula is created with the highest-quality ingredients, and will ensure that all your pet’s nutritional needs are met. To find out more about the benefits of NuVet Plus and NuJoint Plus, follow NuVet Labs on Facebook today.
