New Website Provides Explanations and Solutions for Problem Pet Behaviors

Petstress.Com Helps Pet Owners Solve Complex Pet Behavior Problems

Stamford, CT (PRWEB) November 9, 2008 -- www.petstress.com officially opened for business today. All animals experience stress but until now, there has been no place for pet owners to seek advice on stress-related pet conditions.

The new website, www.PetStress.com is designed to fill this gap. It's a free on-line service that provides information to pet owners about common stress-related pet problems, and what they can do to address them. Stress in humans has been recognized as a health issue since the 1930's. Dr. Paul Rosch, President of The American Institute of Stress, estimates that up to 90% of all human visits to doctors are for stress-related illnesses. Animal behaviorist Patricia Simonet says animals also suffer from the physical and behavioral effects of stress. She believes the majority of behavior problems in pets are caused by stress and 90% of these problems can be modified by pet owners.

Problems related to stress, such as separation anxiety (pets often act up the minute they see suitcases), jealousy (cats don't like sharing), or even fear (birds are often terrified of anything new in their cage) are very real in the lives of pets.

Some dogs with separation anxiety will eat through sheetrock in order to find their "missing" owners. A cat that religiously uses his litter box will predictably stop using it the minute a new cat is introduced into the house. And birds, which are incredibly sensitive to even the smallest change, can get so stressed by the presence of a new toy they will start to pluck out their own feathers. These and many other behaviors can be treated and corrected by owners.

Resident animal behavior experts at www.PetStress.com answer challenging questions regarding pets' sometimes strange and usually stress-related behaviors. Ms Simonet, for example, is an internationally known animal behaviorist and ethologist, who attracted the attention of the international media (Good Morning America, NPR, the BBC) when she identified and recorded dog laughter. She offers unique solutions to pet behavior problems based on years of experience working in animal shelters and with pet owners along with what she's learned from her experience interacting with her own three dogs, two birds and three cats.

Ms. Simonet responded to a pet owner's question about how to stop feather plucking (often a sign of loneliness and boredom), by recommending putting a cat in the same room with a pet bird (who is safely caged out of reach of the cat). "Birds need lots of stimulation and sometimes sharing a room with a natural predator is an easy way to accomplish this. People think I'm crazy when I suggest this solution but it's sometimes just the distraction a bird needs to stop it from plucking out its feathers."

Another strange behavior that causes stresses to pets and owners alike is when dogs roll in their own or other animal feces. Usually they do this after a bath, which of course requires another bath. Ms. Simonet advises that dogs hate the smell of soap and will do anything to get rid of it. She tells dog owners to use soaps that have little or no smell.

www.PetStress.com is a website that includes a Question and Answer forum where owners can post their complicated pet behavior questions and read advice from animal behavior experts, veterinarians and other pet owners. U.S. animal shelter statistics show that millions of pets are turned over to shelters each year because discouraged, frustrated owners do not understand the causes of and treatments for challenging pet behavior problems. These numbers could be reduced significantly, and good relationships between owners and pets could be established if owners understood the impact that stress has on their pets' behaviors. The website contains continually updated articles and timely features on the positive stress-alleviating effects of providing adequate exercise, nutritious diets, and frequent attention and grooming for pets. On the lighter side, pet owners can post their favorite pet photos and submit pet stories.

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