Colt and the Memorial Day Fireworks

We were just settling in after a long day this past Memorial Day. Colt kept us company as we did some yard work. We later grilled up some hot dogs and hamburgers. We only had a few people over and by evening we were ready for bed.

As we settled in, we heard it. There were the BOOMS and CRACKS of the fireworks. I wasn't aware of it until Colt squirmed from the bed to my lap. Then he started shaking. I knew making a big deal out of it would make things worse, so I just nonchalantly pet his back and continued reading my book. 

Unfortunately the fireworks kept coming and he jumped onto the floor. He was looking for a small space to curl up in. He finally decided to squeeze between my nightstand and under my bed. 

He calmed down shortly after that, but I hated to see the above look on his face. I did some reading about this. Aside from not making a big deal about it and to offer normal petting I discovered some products out there such as the Thunder Shirt. This wraps the dog tightly and gives him a sense of security. 

Other ways to help your pup:

• Act normal
• Distract them with a favorite toy
• Have a place they can go to  - lots of dogs like their crates
• Offer calming music
• Pull shades and curtains down and close the windows to help filter out the sounds

What are some ways you use to help your pet during anxious times? 

Leia and Peanut

Leia and Peanut fight. A lot. Peanut thinks it is his mission to go after Leia. I could see the toll it was taking on Leia. She was stressed. She was always on the look out. Ready for the next clash. She remained  in one area of our kitchen which became her "safe spot, but Peanut could access her. She started losing hair, which I'm sure was from the stress.

A few months ago, we decided to keep them in separate rooms. Leia's apartment now is in our room. The changes I'm seeing are wonderful.  You can see that she feels safe again. She hides less. She plays.

 He hair is growing back. She loves to be brushed.

She cuddles. She even purrs now. I was worried that confining her to one room would be cruel, but she seems to be very happy with it. She truly has a safe space where she doesn't have to always be on the alert for danger.

I would love to allow her to roam around the house freely, but right now it doesn't seem to be an option. As long as she is happy and feels safe now, I'm okay with the arrangements.

Feel free to comment below if you went through something similar in your pet's hierarchy. What were your tricks?

Colt's Anxiety

Colt's Great Escape

Over the year and a half we have had Colt, we noticed he is very clingy, to me in particular. One Saturday last March the day started out normal. I had to take my daughter back to her Dad since she had to work. I knew it would be a long ride and that Colt would get very anxious. Even with other people in the house, he will still bark every few minutes and sit by the door. So, since I didn't need to get out of the car, I let him come with me. He enjoyed that. He is very good in the car. He mostly sleeps, but he will also get up every now and then to look out the window.

Once we were home, my husband and I went to get some food shopping done. We were halfway to the store when we get a phone call from the Home Again microchip company. (I really love this company. I highly recommend them..) The said that they had found Colt.

We were thinking that it had to be a mistake because we just left Colt IN the house only a short time ago. My husband made some calls to our neighbors and it was confirmed. Somehow, he got our.

A bunch of horrible things were going through our heads. How did he get out? Was he OK? Did someone  get into our house and therefore let him out? Did the cats follow him?

We finally get home. Colt was over at our neighbor's house (Turns out he went to visit the horses across the street). The cats were all accounted for. One last question remained. HOW did he get out?

We had a hunch, but hoped we were wrong, that he went through a window. When we looked to the side of our house, we saw a gaping hold where Colt must have torn and jumped through.

At the Vet we discussed his anxiety and are trying some behavioral tips at home before we move to any supplements or medication.  We did try to crate train him in the past, but he couldn't stand being closed in and ended up chewing off the metal tabs to the doors of the cage. He still uses it though - on his own terms and with it wide open. His favorite thing to do is munch on his "chewy", which is one of those brushing chews.

If you have a pet anxiety story, tell me about it in the comments.

Luna

A strong personality is evident in this pet household. They each have their own way of interacting.

For instance, Luna will bat around antything that moves (except her toys, or course).  I put down a cap to  my water bottle and couldn't find it. A few minutes later I see her bolting across the floor...with my bottle cap.

My son, who had kidney disease, had to take alot of medications and we were always losing those mini measuring medicine cups. What happened to them? Luna. She must have pushed at least 6 of them under the dishwasher.

One time a whole medicine bottle went missing. The culprit? Yep. Luna

You might wonder how I know for sure it was her doing thise things. Well, I caught her red-pawed walking around with one of those medicine cups in her mouth.I have even wittnessed her walking off with our sponge!

 Even now, she is not shy about it. She will blatantly jump on the counter and attempt to run off with something. She knows I'm coming to retrieve the item and she makes a run for it. She is silly sometimes, but we love her!

What about your pets? Anything other than a toy they will play with? Tell me about it in the comments.