How to Help Pets With Cabin Fever
According to an article on Healthy Pet, winter can wreak havoc on four-legged companions, putting cats and dogs at risk for such serious ailments as frostbite and hypothermia. But protecting cats and dogs from the elements by keeping them indoors can expose them to another problem: cabin fever. Interacting with animals can help reduce the severity of their cabin fever and provide significant health benefits to their owners as well.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Prepare an outdoor area prior to a forecast for snow. Place a plastic tarp over a portion of your backyard; following a snowstorm, snow can more easily be shoveled or pushed from a plastic tarp's slippery surface. When the tarp is lifted, you'll expose a completely snow-free section of grass that can be used by your cat or dog as either a bathroom or small play area.
-
2
Join your pet for some sun exposure, through a window seat or a glass storm door. According to Carol Torgan, Ph.D., in an article for the National Wildlife Federation, exposure to sunlight has a direct, positive impact on a human's overall health. Your pet may benefit from sunlight exposure as well. Animals will also be entertained by the goings-on of your yard or street.
-
-
3
Create a new toy. Use your ingenuity to create a toy out of household items: shoestrings or ribbon for a cat, or paper towel cardboard tubes or a socks filled with cotton balls for dogs. Engaging in games with new objects can provide mental stimulation for dogs and cats and decrease boredom.
-
4
Try doga, or dog yoga. Bethany Lyttle explains in an article for The New York Times that doga, which involves massage and stretching for both canines and humans, is increasing in popularity. Doga provides an opportunity for exercise when the elements prevent dogs and their owners from exercising outdoors. Doga can also strengthen the emotional bond between a human and the pet.
-
5
Turn on some music. Sari N. Harrar states in her article for Prevention Magazine that music can relieve pain, ease the symptoms of depression, and alleviate anxiety. Many animals respond positively to music as well; music can calm a misbehaving pet.
-
6
Take a short walk around the perimeter of your house. Once you've shoveled snow off your home's front walk, deck, porch or driveway, take your pet for a walk up and down the cleared pathways. If your dog is used to a daily walk, this allows your pet to feel the comfort of maintaining his or her routine. Wipe your animal's paws upon returning indoors to remove snow, ice, or salt.
-
7
Go for a ride. As soon as the streets are clear, take your canine friend for a short ride around the block. Getting out of the house for any length of time can improve the mental outlook of both humans and their canine companions.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Snow-Loving Dog image by ne_fall_photos from Fotolia.com
