I’ve met many animals with separation anxiety. Sometimes it’s about their people going to work and at other times, it happens when their people go on vacation.
How do we know they’re anxious?
A very clear expression of anxiety is when you come home to find your stuff damaged. You look around and there’s a shredded or damaged couch, chair, pillow. There might be potty accidents, which don’t happen when you’re home. They might actually lose weight while you’re on vacation.
Cats might hide when the sitter visits instead of coming out to get a bit of love. You notice this happening even when you have the same sitter. Even though you know he or she’s a warm person who likes your cat.
And now you’re frustrated and anxious and wondering what to do.
Why the anxiety?
It doesn’t make sense because you love them bunches, you give them a good life and you’re affectionate with them. It’s clear they return your love. Why else do they cuddle? And even if they’re not a cuddler, you still find them close to you during the day. All you need to do is look out of the corner of your eye, and there they are! And have you noticed that they check in on you during the day?
Possible causes
They might remember a time when they were abandoned. Maybe another loving family – or a family that they loved, even if it wasn’t returned – gave them up for adoption. In their experience, their people left and did not return for them. For very sensitive animals, leaving their mom at an early age might have been difficult; maybe it was too soon or too sudden.
When people go on vacation, cats especially become freaked out by the drastic change in their day-to-day routine. Cats are mad that you had the audacity to leave them without their permission. But it happens with other animals too. They can be worried that this new reality is permanent.
What if they knew about your plans?
Vacations
If you’re already intuitively connected to your animals, tell them when you’ll be back and who will be watching them while you’re gone. While you’re on vacation, check in on them, send them love and remind them you’re coming home. You can give them a sense of how long till you come home by showing them the number of sunrises left to your return date.
Animal communicators can help
I contact the animals before their person leaves and explain their plans – how long they’ll be gone and who’s watching them. Once their people leave, I continue to connect to remind them they are loved – I send them love they can feel! And I remind them the separation is temporary. I give then permission to play, to eat, chill and enjoy the person who’s taking care of them. I even remind them about any special medical stuff the sitter has to do and ask them to cooperate, so they stay healthy for their person! We do a countdown together of sunrises until you come home – it becomes a game!
Daily separation anxiety
Daily separation anxiety – usually when people go to work – seems to be related more to abandonment issues from their past. I have also helped these animals. We discover what their lingering fear is and assure them (if this is true) that they are now in their forever home. They can allow themselves to relax into this new reality. I will also do energy healing to help them shake off the emotions they’re carrying with them about the past. Sometimes they ask for adjustments in the house to make them relax.
I’d love to hear to see if I can help! Email me at maribeth@sacredgrove.com!
Look for the story about Susanna, Terra & Chi for vacation anxiety!
Look for the story about Kathy H. & Sakari for separation anxiety!