I am under home quarantine, my dog ​​doesn’t poop and my cat hates me, what should I do?

Due to the epidemic, many friends have to stay at home for a long time recently; if you have cats and dogs at home, you have to stay with them 24 hours a day. Although you can spend more time with each other, this also brings some problems - for example, will dogs be bored if they can't go out? How should they poop? And cats have to face the poop scooper all day long. Will the aloof cat owner be annoyed?

Can’t go out to play yet｜Giphy

If you are also quarantined with your pet, this article may help you and your furry friend have a happier time.

Dog: It’s nice to have a poop scooper at home, but…

For dogs, the happiest thing is that their owners are quarantined at home or working from home. The owners don't have to go out every day and can be with them all the time, which makes the dogs feel very at ease.

The only thing that gives pet owners a headache is the problem of taking their pets for walks and defecation.

What should I do if my dog ​​can’t be taken outside and destroys the house?

365 days a year, rain or shine, most dog owners take their dogs for walks and urination. Even on snowy days, typhoon days, or at midnight, you can see them walking their dogs outside. However, once they are isolated at home with their owners and unable to go out, dogs may feel depressed and develop house-destroying behaviors. In severe cases, they may even develop stereotyped behaviors - repeating certain actions, such as pacing, chasing tails, barking for no reason, etc.

Playing is a dog's nature. To relieve the anxiety caused by not being able to walk outside, owners need to spend more time with them. When dogs are irritable or even stereotyped, owners should not scold or punish them, but use small toys, snacks and other "temptations" to encourage dogs to participate in chasing and retrieving games. This can distract the dog's attention and relieve their anxiety.

Play at home｜Pixabay

If there are no toys or snacks for the dog at home, the owner can also play hide-and-seek with the dog - yes, that's right, just hide in the corner and call the dog's name, let them come to find you. When the dog finds you, the owner can verbally reward them and pet them, so that they know they are praised. But it should be noted that the owner must not hide quietly and silently, silently expecting the dog to find you actively; when you are waiting for the dog to find you, the dog may have fallen asleep...

I can’t go out, where can I defecate?

Excretion is another problem for dog-raising families during the stay-at-home period. Some dogs that have developed good excretion habits would rather grit their teeth and hold it in for a whole day than pee at home. Some shit scoopers even find a new way to use an extended leash to lower the dog from the window, wait for the dog to walk and poop by itself, and then hoist the dog back home like a wire rope.

This behavior poses a huge safety hazard and is not recommended for anyone to follow.

Walking your dog on a wire? No no no! Too dangerous! | Network

If your dog likes to defecate on the grass, you can use artificial grass, or ask the community staff to bring some leaves and weeds and place them in a place at home to encourage your dog to defecate. You can also put items with dog urine here, and when the dog wants to go to the toilet, he usually chooses these places. In addition, after the dogs successfully defecate in the designated place at home, they must be rewarded with words and snacks to let the dogs know that they will not be punished and that they have done a good job.

It is best not to lock dogs in the toilet and let them out after they defecate and urinate. This method will not help dogs to defecate, but will make them feel uneasy and even have a stress reaction.

A family in Shanghai built a dog toilet on the balcony | Internet

Many people also worry that if dogs hold their urine and refuse to defecate, they will get sick. Generally speaking, holding urine and not defecating for a short period of time will not have too much impact on the body. In fact, most dogs will defecate and urinate in an inconspicuous corner of the house after persisting for a day. At this time, the shit shoveler should not show dissatisfaction, so that the dog can reduce the psychological burden and learn to continue to defecate at home.

For dogs with existing medical conditions, especially bladder or kidney diseases, holding urine for a long time may have adverse effects. If you find that your dog has abnormal behavior or symptoms, be sure to contact the veterinarian online for consultation in time.

Cat: Why hasn’t the poop scooper gone out yet?

Although friends who keep cats don’t have to worry about taking their cats out for walks, they also have worries: If I stay at home every day, will my cat dislike me?

In the eyes of the kitten, the daily activities at home are regular - eating, sleeping, playing; when the owner is due to come back, the kitten will go to the door and wait for the owner to come home. Now, there is suddenly a living person in the house all the time, and the kitten will be more or less confused and uncomfortable: This is different from what we agreed! I should stay at home alone! The entire territory of the house should belong to me, the kitten!

Cat is confused: Why don't you leave? | Mai Mai

At this time, if the owner interacts with the cat too much, the kitten may dislike it. Especially for cats that are not very clingy at ordinary times, when the owner tries to interact with it, their hiding and running away behaviors will be more obvious. Don't be sad about this. After all, although the cat's cold personality can be improved after birth, it is still the nature engraved in their genes for thousands of years. If the cat shows obvious dodging and running away during the interaction, the owner should not force them to play, or chase them to try to continue the interaction. Give the kittens some free space, and they will come to you to play when they are bored. At this time, you can also take the opportunity to use snacks or language and caressing to get closer to the kittens.

However, cats have a mind that is as unfathomable as the sea. Their thoughts are beyond the reach of their owners. A cat may dislike you today, but want to stick to you tomorrow. Even when you finally dress up and sit in front of your computer, ready to attend an important remote meeting, the cat that previously ignored you will lie down in the middle of the keyboard, close its eyes and snore...

At this moment, the owner is probably both happy and upset. Happy: My cat actually asked for petting! He loves me! Disappointed: Reporting to the boss, my cat will attend the meeting on my behalf today｜Pixabay

In fact, cats do this kind of behavior because of possessiveness. If the owner's attention is not on them, they will use this method to attract your attention. This seemingly overbearing behavior is actually the kitten silently shouting "Play with me, play with me". If you forcibly take the cat away and lock it out of the door at this time, they may not be very happy. The correct way is to use toys, cat teasers, food, etc. to divert the cat's attention.

Cats and dogs accompany us throughout our lives and have long been family members of their owners｜Pixabay

Small animals accompany us throughout their lives. For pet owners, they are important family members. Therefore, learning to get along with furry children correctly and giving them more love and companionship can make both people and animals happier.

During the epidemic, we have seen many incidents of "harmless disposal of pets". However, whether they are stray animals or family pets, they all need to receive proper attention and kind treatment from human society. The World Organization for Animal Health has proposed five principles of animal welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort and pain, freedom from harm and fear, freedom from pain, and the ability to express nature. Some people would say that during the epidemic, humans have been unable to take care of themselves, let alone take good care of animals. However, compared to brutally killing an innocent kitten or puppy, we can still choose a warmer and more life-respecting way, which is why Shenzhen's pet shelter has received a lot of recognition and praise.

I hope that regardless of whether there is an epidemic or not, all small animals can be treated kindly by this world.

Author: M.

Editor: Mai Mai

This article comes from the Species Calendar, welcome to forward

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