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Now we're going to talk about some of the behaviors for you to monitor at home so that you can again recognize what's normal for your pet. And the first and probably most important thing for you to be comfortable with what are your pet's normal eating habits? Is he a veracious eater? He gobbles his food down as soon as you put the bowl on the ground? Or, does he tend to pick at it and graze normally? If he is a veracious eater and maybe today he leaves half of the food bowl behind, that's an early indication that there could be something wrong and we need to investigate further. Some other behaviors to keep in mind are what are his bathroom habits? How often is he asking to go outside? How often is your cat going to the litter box? If there is a change, either an increase or a decrease in those habits, again it could be an early sign of a problem and might need to be investigated. And the last thing to really get to know well in your pet is how does he interact with you and your family and the other pets in the home? If normally your dog greets you at the door when you get home from work and today he's not there, this could be the sign of a problem and we need to maybe look into this a little bit further. Alternatively maybe your cat, as soon as your dog comes into the room your cat leaves. And today, she didn't go anywhere. This could also be an early sign of something is wrong, that she is not feeling well and we need to dig a little bit deeper. So again, understanding what's normal for your animal as an individual is really helpful for understanding when something is a little bit off.
In this lesson, we’re going to go over cat and dog behaviors you should monitor at home, specifically eating habits, bathroom habits, and social habits or behaviors. Doing so may help you get a jump on a problem before it becomes serious.
Pro Tip #1: We mentioned this in a previous lesson but it’s worth repeating: Before you can determine what’s abnormal for your cat or dog, you first have to understand what is normal for your pet. Consider the following three behaviors a good starting point.
The first pet behavior you should be keeping an eye on may also be the easiest to monitor – your cat or dog’s eating habits. First, ask yourself the following questions:
If your dog or cat normally eats quickly, and suddenly, he or she is pushing around food in the bowel like a disgruntled child moving lima beans around a dinner plate, that’s a good sign there may be a problem.
Also, keep in mind how much your pet normally eats. If your pet is typically a voracious eater and then one day leaves half the food in the food bowl uneaten, again, this could be a sign of a problem.
Pro Tip #2: What should you do if you notice a problem in one of these three pet behaviors? Investigate further! Something tells me we’ll be getting into the how in subsequent lessons.
Another behavior you should consider monitoring is your pet’s bathroom habits. Again, you should be asking the following:
Bathroom behavior is significant when it deviates from the norm. A simple change in bathroom habits – either an increase or a decrease – can be an early warning sign that something is not quite right with your pet.
The last cat or dog behavior you should try monitoring is your pet’s social habits or behaviors. Ask yourself the following questions to get a sense of what’s normal for your pet:
If your dog normally greets you at the door every time you come home from work, or really whenever you’re away, and then one day he isn’t there when you come in, this could be a signal that something is wrong.
Alternatively, if your cat typically wants nothing to do with your dog – as in leaving the room as soon as your dog enters – and then you notice one day that your cat didn’t go anywhere, this again could be a problem.
It might be a mistake to think that maybe your cat suddenly had a change of heart and now loves dogs. Likely, your cat isn’t feeling well, and you should attempt to find out why.
Understanding what’s normal for your pet is the foundation on which much of this course is built. Get to know your pet as an individual. Get to know your pet’s normal behaviors in these three areas listed above. If you do, you’ll be better equipped to notice when something isn’t right.