This next week may be a challenging one for our pets, as daylight savings time ends and we move back to standard time. For us humans, we may think of it as getting an extra hour of sleep (that hour we lost back in the Spring). But for our pets, they don’t wear watches and can’t tell time. They respond to daylight and darkness, and to our routines and behavior. So, when it’s their breakfast time in the morning and there’s NO breakfast yet – what’s going on??
Our pets adapt to our schedules. They know when we usually wake up, when we leave for work, when we might get home, and especially when they usually get fed. They anticipate our goings and comings. They may wait by the door for the kids to come home from school, or listen for the garage door opening when someone gets home from work. When we change from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time, our schedules change and it can be disconcerting or even confusing for our four-footed buddies.
Time change for our pets affects when they eat, when they sleep, when they go for a walk, when you play with them. Gradual change can help with the transition. Consider making small adjustments this coming week. For example, if you normally feed your pet at 6 PM each day, that’s now 5 PM on standard time. So feed at 5:15 for a couple of days, then 5:30 for two days and then 5:45 for two more days. Finally, feed at your pet’s normal 6 PM time. The adjustment will hardly be noticed.
The same process will work with playtime and other activities. Make gradual changes over the next week. Routines make our furry friends comfortable – they know what to expect. Small adjustments will help them adapt to the time change, and soon their new schedule will feel familiar once again.
Drastic changes can make all of us, pets and people alike – feel stressed, but small changes can make it easier for everyone in the family to adapt, especially when we’re speaking of pets.
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