New Delhi: Yes, it’s definite that you love your pets but sometimes your relationship with pets may become toxic. The internet is full of videos of traumatised cats who wince when a rescuer attempts to heal their wounds. Most dogs that stop wagging their tails and retreat into a shell when they meet their human parents are because of their abusive past. Pets who fail to walk straight on smooth surfaces because of them being crushed under the burden of their own weight.

Often these signs are overseen in the world of toxicity. However, they can be fixed following five major steps. Take a look at them:

1. Pets always need care, irrespective of age

According to the pet behaviourist, Aaron D’ silva, pet parents often feels that their pets do not need care and love as they grow up. He stated, “Pets always need our care, and it is very negligent on our part to take their health for granted and assume they can take care of themselves after a certain age.”

2. Always get therapy before adopting pets

D’silva informed that most of the time pet owners take out all the stress from work and family on the pets, without knowing that they are projecting their own anxieties onto them. While talking to Vogue, he stated, “A majority of pet parents don’t even realise what is happening and then think the animal is at fault which is untrue,” he explains. “Animals only feed into the emotions of their owners and behave accordingly. If the pet parent is stressed, the animal reacts in a way that might be unpleasant.”

However, he specifies that certain breeds of pets come with their own mental health issues on how exotic they are since they feel out of place for various environmental and biological reasons. 

3. Have a stable daily routine

Often, pets act weirdly when their human parents have a chaotic work-life balance as they end up being ignored and fed out of schedule. It is necessary to pamper them like small children, not excessively but just the bare minimum. 

4. Train and discipline your pets

D’silva also cautioned against over-pampering your pets because even a slight reduction in coddling them may bring aggression to them. “It’s the little things—like not feeding them food while you’re at the dining table because the stomach of a dog is literally the size of a cricket ball, or not allowing your dog to suffocate you with affection every time so that he doesn’t jump on every second visitor,” he says. “It’s all about cultivating good habits so that these indulgences don’t end up becoming long-term behavioural issues.”

5. Do your research before adopting pets

Though romantic and Instagram-friendly posts on Persian cats and Huskies may seem nice, one needs to understand that not all pets are ready to accept their new home. “Everything might seem beautiful on paper but the pet might just not adapt to your home,” says Mallika. “You could have a papaya conditioner, a farmhouse for long walks and access to great pet food—and yet, the pet might not feel at home. When that happens, accept it and move on. Find your dog a loving new home instead of just living in denial or abandoning them on the road.”