Do you wake up at three in the morning from a heart-rending howl, and in the morning find the wallpaper in shreds?
Don’t rush to blame your pet for being “naughty” – its behavior screams about problems that you stubbornly ignore.
Veterinarians and animal psychologists reveal a shocking truth: animals do not destroy homes out of revenge. Behind every such act there is pain, fear, or your fatal mistake.
Let's take dogs. Howling at night is not an attempt to "annoy the neighbors." For puppies, it is a signal of loneliness: in nature, cubs howl so that their mother can hear them. Adult dogs, left in the dark, copy the pack instinct - this is how they seek contact with "relatives." But if your pet howls even when you are at home, the cause is deeper. An anxiety disorder caused by a lack of socialization or phobias (for example, fear of thunderstorms) provokes panic. The dog shivers, whines, destroys furniture, trying to drown out the fear. A study by the University of Bristol showed that 40% of dogs with destructive behavior suffer from undiagnosed phobias.
Cats that tear wallpaper are not vandals. Their claws are a survival tool. If a pet cannot find a scratching post, it will choose a wall to sharpen its claws and mark its territory with the scent glands on its paws. But when a cat furiously tears the wallpaper in one corner, this may be a sign of hyperthyroidism. Hormonal imbalance causes itching and hyperactivity: the pet does not control its actions. Another reason is melancholy. Cats that are left alone for a long time tear the wallpaper to "let off steam." Zoopsychologists compare this to a nervous breakdown in humans.
Rodents like rabbits and chinchillas don't gnaw walls because they're hungry. Their teeth grow all their lives, and without the right mineral stones or branches, the animal damages its incisors, which leads to abscesses and death by starvation. And parrots that pluck wallpaper often suffer from vitamin A deficiency, which causes itchy skin.
But the most dangerous scenario is pain. A dog with arthritis howls at night because the discomfort increases. A cat with urolithiasis tears up the wallpaper in an attempt to distract itself from the pain of urination. A hamster gnawing on the baseboards may suffer from a tooth tumor. Veterinarians warn: 70% of animals with destructive behavior have hidden diseases.
How to fix the situation? First, eliminate pain. Take your pet for an examination, have blood tests, and X-rays done. If health is OK, start enriching the environment. Dogs need walks with search games (hide treats in the grass), cats need vertical complexes and scratching posts with catnip. Offer rodents apple branches or mineral blocks.
For anxious animals, use pheromones (Adaptil for dogs, Feliway for cats) - they reduce stress. Never punish your pet for damaging property: it will not understand the connection between your shouting and its actions. Instead, redirect attention: if the dog starts chewing the sofa, give it a puzzle toy.
And remember: silence and order in the house are not an indicator of the pet's happiness. Its "vandalism" is the last way to get through to you. Hear it before it's too late.
Author: Irina Tint
