More than half of pet owners say pet guilt is the real deal

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A recent survey of pet owners confirms so-called pet guilt exists. If you are an owner, you get where this is going. 

The survey of 2000 owners by Vetster revealed 59 per cent of pet owners (some call themselves parents,) feel guilt related to the animals they share their home with. Angst can stem from not spending enough time with our cat or dog or feeling responsible if our beloved pet is having a bad day.

So what do we do? Many of us overcompensate with efforts to ‘fix’ things, according to Vetster’s medical director, Dr. Sarah Machell. 

That includes taking extra long walks (40 per cent,) doling out extra treats (57 per cent,) or delivering massages, belly rubs and attention (48 per cent) if they feel they have done wrong.

“Remember that guilt is a normal human emotion and if you reframe your feelings around love and care, you’ll be able to set healthy boundaries, training and routine with your animal,” Machell says. “Be mindful of overloading treats and relaxing on your training to compensate. It’s beneficial to keep the rules in place so (your animals) aren’t confused about how you’d like them to behave.”

Seems pet owners can’t win because 58 per cent confess to guilty feelings for either spending too much or too little to try to quash those guilty feelings. And 32 per cent blame bad feelings for driving them to shell out more than $50 on a treat for their critter.

We spoke to Dr. Machell, an Ontario-based vet and owner of dogs Cheddar, Leroy and Bruce, to find out more about the problem and ways to cope.

Q: How long have you been a vet?

A: Almost 25 years. I came to industry out of a passion for loving animals. I love to help animals and people. I get a lot of satisfaction from improving pet’s lives and health and enhancing the bond between pets and humans. 

Q: Are you surprised to learn that pet owners carry guilt?

A: Not at all. Guilt is a terrible human emotion. It is closely related to people and animals we love and hold dearly. I wasn’t surprised and do see guilt in many forms in my practice. I think it all stems from the desire to give pets their best life possible. 

Q: In your professional opinion, can pets pull guilt trips on us? 

A: We interpret their behaviour as them trying to make us feel guilty because we already feel guilty. Are they manipulating us? Yes. They love our attention and want to be with us as much as we want to be with them.

Q: What types of toys do you recommend to help ease a pet’s time without us?

A: The go-to ones are the ones we know which are safe to be ingested without direct supervision. Make sure the size of the toy or treat is appropriate for the size of the pet. 

I’m a big fan of a stuffed Kong, sometimes in place of a meal. You take kibble and moisten it with broth or water or add peanut butter or low fat cottage cheese. Pack that mushy stuff into the Kong and put it in the freezer before treating your dog.

She cautions toys that are too hard can cause dental fractures. If pressing your thumb nail doesn’t make an indent the material is too tough. 

Kong ($28)

Kong for small dogs ($14)

There are fascinating wearable products being developed. They can track location, heart rate, respiratory rate and movements. Some are going so far as (identifying) if your dog is stretching today more than they normally do, it will send you an alert. There is really some great technology coming out. 

Another area is the genetics piece. I think in the next two to five years we will see some really fascinating applications for DNA-type testing pulling some immensely valuable data to see if your dog may be at risk for certain illness or genetic markers.

DNA tests:

Embark Dog DNA test ($160)

Basepaws Cat DNA test ($200)

One more thought about cats:

I think some of the best things we can do for cats are environmental enrichment and really digging into their indoor life and making it as rich and natural as possible. Cats love variety and elevations, a laser pointer, indoor running things. I’m also a huge fan of a feeding system that mimics a cat’s natural prey and eat existence.

Doc & Phoebe’s Interactive Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder ($81)

Greenies Dental Treats. Available in various sizes ($17) 

Bull Fit tug toy with two handles ($37)

Chewgo dog toys for aggressive chewers ($34) 

LIVINGBasics auto-feeder for cats or dogs ($43)

Dogness Smart Cam treat dispenser ($230)

Self-cooling gel mat for cats or dogs ($160)

Outward Hound interactive treat dispenser toy ($24) 

Doggo Box. Packed with five interactive toys to enhance cognitive development. ($40) 

The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever — A Step-by-step Guide to 118 Tricks and Stunts. Pssst, this is on our Christmas list. (Starting at $16 for the Kindle version.) 

Hill’s Natural Fruity Snacks ($13)

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