Owning a pet can be very beneficial both physically and emotionally. Living and caring for your pets can be a great experience that is very entertaining.
Even when you browse YouTube, you will see thousands of pet owners recording the humorous incidents and amusing tricks of their little ‘friends’ to share with the rest of the world.
Although these pictures or videos you see on YouTube or any other media channel can encourage you to have a similar companion, you must learn the common problems these pets bring.
There are a variety of pet species available ranging from dogs to cats, but not everyone knows how to handle their annoying habits.
Here are seven common pet problems and how to solve them:
Inappropriate urination
Pets, especially cats, tend to urinate in the house. This can be a frustrating problem to the owner and the cat itself. Various reasons may lead a cat to urinate in other areas other than in its litter box.
Aversion of the litter box could imply that there is something about the box that the cat dislikes. It could be that the litter box’s location is inappropriate.
Remember that you cannot train a cat to use the litter box. But rather it can only prefer to urinate in the litter box over other locations.
In most cases, it is not easy to distinguish between litter box aversions and locations to establish the exact problem causing your cat to urinate inappropriately. To solve this problem, try to offer various types of litter boxes, placed at different locations.
Dogs chewing on household items
Does your dog have a destructive chewing behaviour? It is your responsibility to train your dogs what they can chew and what they cannot chew. The first step towards dealing with the behaviour is by determining the reasons why your dog is chewing.
Remember that your dog is not chewing for the sake of it. Chances are that your dog is chewing because of boredom, suffering from the anxiety of separation, fear, and seeking attention.
The proper solution to the above reasons is to consult your nearest behaviour professional to guide you on the best way of dealing with your dog’s destructive chewing behaviour.
Your hamster runs on his wheel at night
Everyone wants a peaceful night free of noise. Likewise, hamster wheel noise is something you do not want to hear at night. So, there is a solution if you do not want your night to be disrupted by your exercising hamster.
Since you cannot stop his exercising during the night, ensure to keep him in a room that is quiet, dimly lit and far away from your bedroom.
Your cat meows at night
Perhaps, as a cat owner, you have at one point lost sleep because of your cat crying during the night. Although it is not easy to establish why a cat meows at night, possible reasons could be as a result of loneliness, thirst, hunger or even sickness.
Possible remedies to stop your cat from meowing at night include playing with your cat before you retire to bed and feeding it immediately after the play sessions.
Your cat drags food out of their bowl
Cats might take a mouthful food out of their bowl and take it somewhere else. This could imply that your cat does not like the bowl. Therefore, you must upgrade the bowl to a stainless-steel bowl, if you are used to giving your cat food on a plastic bowl.
Keep trying different methods if this move does not change the behaviour of the cat.
Your dog barks when the doorbell rings
Naturally, dogs can be startled by a loud noise. Doorbells make a loud noise when they ring thus startling dogs. When a doorbell rings, your dog might bark for various reasons such as excitement, or being scared.
You can stop your dog from barking by trying to keep it calm and quiet when the doorbell rings, although this can take some training. Persevere, its worth it!
Your pet sheds
Nearly all pets shed their coat occasionally. Seasons and weather play a huge role in the shedding among pets, but the overall health of a pet is the key factor that can influence how much hair is falling out.
Although you cannot stop your pet from shedding altogether, try to keep your pet well-groomed and as healthy as possible.
Holiday care
Are you planning on going on a vacation? Whether you are going on a vacation for one week or one month, you can hire a professional pet sitter.
Having someone to take care of your pet and home is beneficialy for your pet and for you. Your pet is in their home environment and you have peace of mind your home is being looked after a while you are away.
