How to Deal With Your Hyperactive Pet

When pets are over-excited, they’ll do everything to work off the excess energy. If you’re a dog owner, you may have noticed your furry friend pacing up and down, barking continuously, or spinning in circles. These are all signs of over-excitement, and it’s the same with cats.

It can be quite funny and cute to look at our pets going crazy. This is why most pet owners often interpret signs of hyperactivity as happiness and end up unknowingly encouraging the behavior. But with time you might not see fun anymore, especially if your pet leaves you exhausted every day. You end up getting more frustrated than you were in the beginning.

Here is everything you need to know about hyperactive pets and how to deal with them.

Why Pets Can Be Hyperactive

Veterinarians often refer to this kind of behavior as instinctive, something pets are born with. The following are some of the most common causes of hyperactivity in pets:

1. Early Puppy/Kitten Years

Kittens and puppies need to be around other cats, dogs, and animals while growing up. People’s love and support are not enough for them. They need the kind of care and attention that intuitively comes from animals of their kind. Positive reinforcement, socialization, and proper training are necessary during this period of their earlier development as it determines their overall well-being later in their lives.

2. Lack of Stimulation

Hyperactivity in pets also stems from boredom and lack of stimulation. Pets need to get a lot of exercise and new tricks to work off their physical and mental energy.

3. Improper Diet

Unhealthy foods affect your pet’s digestion, brain functionality, energy levels, and sleep cycle. Foods with too much sugar and additives are directly related to your pet’s hyperactive and aggressive behavior. An Imbalanced diet also makes it difficult to train pets since it also affects their concentration. 

4. Conditioned Behavior

This is what we call trained disobedience. A pet owner tries to train his furry friend and then gives up in the process giving his pet the freedom to behave as he wishes. In some cases, pet owners even reward their pets despite not learning the intended tricks. Pets end up having little or no understanding of the training sessions, and they get anxious when forced to learn something. It will require a lot of patience and trial to outlast the pet’s hyperactivity in such a situation.

5. Breed Characteristics

Some pets are just laid back by their biological status while others are more hyperactive. Some pets stay enthusiastic for their whole life depending on their breed. For example, sport dogs, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers are meant to stay active and attentive both physically and mentally throughout their lives because they were bred for difficult jobs.

Signs of Hyperactivity

So, how do you know if your pet is hyperactive or just having fun in a normal way? Here are some of the signs you should look for if you suspect that your pet is constantly overly-excited.

1. Restlessness

Hyperactive pets are often restless. They jump up and down, spin in circles, pant excessively, and whine. Their sleeping behaviors also change. Cats run around the house at very high speeds knocking down household items. They do so to imitate play-fighting with other pets.

2. Have a Shorter Attention Span

Pets who have undergone proper training are usually very attentive. However, hyperactive pets are easily distracted because they are eager to learn what is going on in their environment rather than listening to their trainer.

3. They are Clingy

Hyperactive pets are clingy and they can be overly attention-seeking. They tend to follow their owners around, never leaving their side. As a pet owner, you’ll have to deal with clinginess sooner otherwise it will progress to separation anxiety whereby your pet will become anxious or panic a lot whenever left alone.

4. They Bark Uncontrollably

Hyperactive dogs are unnecessarily loud. They bark, wail, or howl a lot aimlessly. This is the same with cats who also excessively meow or yowl continuously. It’s normal for pets to be vocal, especially if they are doing so towards something or someone. However, they are likely to be hyperactive if they meow or bark at nothing for no apparent reason.

5. They Are Aggressive

Hyperactive pets often cause a lot of damage in the process. They may damage your shoes, scratch the sofa, or leave your kitchen in a filthy mess. On top of chewing, dogs may even bite while cats mark their territories indoors.

Tips to Calm Your Pet Down

It’s pretty normal for pets to be hyperactive. However, if you don’t train them during their early stage of this instinctive behavior, it may be a bit of a challenge once they are older. Here is what you should do to prevent the symptoms of hyperactivity from escalating later.

1. Provide Adequate Daily Exercise

All pets require adequate exercise. Take daily walks with your pet or play different games to allow your pet to channel all his energy as he focuses on physical activity. You can try fetch games using the KONG Squeakair Ball Dog Toy for super active dog breeds. The Vitakraft Flying Soccer Ball is also a perfect option to calm your hyperactive pet and is loved by both cats and dogs.

2. Mental Stimulation

Apart from outdoor activities, you can use puzzles that appeal to your pet’s natural instincts. Huxley and Kent KittyBelles Up a Tree Prebook Cat Toy is a good example of beautiful realistic toys that cats enjoy playing with. 

You may as well try AFP Dental Chews for dogs if you don’t have time to play puzzle games with your furry friend.

3. Offer Balanced Diet

Know your pet’s nutritional requirements and offer him a diet that matches his physical activity. Hyperactive pets require serious diet changes. You will need a diet that is well balanced with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to account for their energy loss. Try Absolute Holistic Rawstew Chicken & Shellfish Wet Food for both dogs and cats since it’s an excellent source of all the nutrients required by your superactive furry friend.

4. Make Your Pet Obey You

Make your pet obey you by reinforcing training with rewards. Reward your pet for good behavior. With time, you may be able to train him without using a reward. Use treats such as Absolute Bites Air Dried Duck Breast for best results.

5. Consult Your Vet

Talk to your vet if you’ve taken all the above measures and still your pet is hyperactive. There is a possibility that your pet may need medical treatment depending on your vet’s findings. Your vet will be able to investigate any underlying emotional or physical causes of your pet’s hyperactivity and advise accordingly.