How did it go with last week’s little challenge?

If you don’t know what I’m referring to, check it out here.

I’d love to hear if you observed any stress signals. Which ones and in what context? Maybe we can work together to reduce them in the future!

Of course, it’s only fair I share my observations (yes, even a pet care expert’s pet can experience stress!). This past weekend we had a storm with some lightning pass by Summit. One of my cats, Jasmine, shows multiple stress signals whenever this happens. She immediately “army crawls” as we call it, away from windows, and crouches in a corner with a tense and hunched body. There’s not much I can do to prevent this because the weather is unpredictable. So what I do is focus on comforting her in the moment by wrapping her in a dark and thick blanket, covering her just so she can’t see the lightning but can still breathe, and holding her in my lap or next to me on the couch. She seems to love this. After the storm passes, she swiftly jumps away like nothing even happened…typical cat behavior *eye roll*

Now, let’s do a 180 and review “comfy” signals. What do I mean by “comfy” you may be wondering? Content. Relaxed. Healthy. Safe.

Basically everything and anything we WANT our pets to be experiencing at ALL times (this is impossible but a girl can dream 🙃). Their ideal state. Why we work so hard so they can have the best life.

Comfy Dog Signals

• Loose tail in a neutral position (not down between legs and not stiff upwards, except for dogs with naturally low or naturally high tails)
• Soft eyes without a fixed gaze (not dilated), maybe they’re a little squinty or blinking
• Ears in their natural position (not super alert and not pushed back against their head)
• Mouth open slightly, maybe the tongue is hanging out a little
• Overall loose, wiggly body
• Maybe they’re lying down next to you, letting out a sigh after an activity (this is like a reset), or resting their head somewhere

Comfy Cat Signals

• Body is loose and curved
• Tail is loosely curved down or forward
• Ears and whiskers are in a neutral position (not forward, not backward)
• Soft eyes with slow blinks (I call these “kitty kisses”…like each time they slow blink, they’re blowing me a loving kiss 😍)
• Eyes are also almond-shaped with sliver-pupils (not dilated)
• Maybe they’re showing their belly, gently grooming near you, being in the same room as you, or purring and kneading

Challenge Part 2: try to find a few minutes each day to observe your pet closely for any of the above comfy signals.

I’m positive this one will be much easier since you’re all such wonderful pet-parents! 🐶😻

Stay Comfy,

Tanya