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Strange and unusual problems
Pets Acquired During The Pandemic Were Never Socialized
Quarantine made our companion animals paranoid and needy
COVID-19 and its variants did a number on our pets. When we were forced to self-isolate, many of us gained new pets. The cats and dogs comforted us when we could not be around other humans.
Unfortunately, having their human home for twenty-four hours a day for two years sets an expectation. The pets experienced their people being at home with them continuously for months. The animals did not meet with other humans or other pets. As far as the pets were concerned, this was normal.
In non-pandemic life, the pet and its owner are apart for some of most days. People go to work, shop, drop off, and pick up kids, leaving their pets alone for a few hours. This is not the case with pandemic pets, who were rarely separated from their owner for more than a few minutes at the height of the pandemic.
These pets suffer from separation anxiety almost immediately when their human departs. The pets pant, run around, make noises of distress, and may attack anyone who is supposed to care for them. I have seen two examples of this recently.
