Empty House? 🏡 Helping Pets Adjust to the Back-to-School Routine

Helping Pets Adjust to the New Back-to-School Routine

The kids are back in school. Lunches are packed, the mornings are hectic, and suddenly the house is a whole lot quieter during the day. For our dogs and cats, this shift can be confusing and even stressful. After a summer full of action and company, they’re left wondering: where did everyone go?

If your pets are pacing, barking, scratching, or just looking a little out of sorts, you’re not alone. This is a big transition for them too. The good news is, there are simple ways to make the adjustment smoother — and we’ve stocked the tools to help.

Keep Them Busy (So They Don’t Miss You as Much)

Boredom is one of the biggest reasons pets struggle when left alone. Giving them something to do can make all the difference.

• Puzzle Toys – Mental work is just as tiring as physical play. Hide Carna4 or treats inside and let your dog or cat figure it out.
  👉 Not ready to commit to buying a variety of puzzle toys? Try our Puzzle Rental Library and rotate puzzles regularly so it always feels new.
• Lick Mats & Snuffle Mats – Spread a bit of raw food, yogurt, or canned food on a Lick Mat, or scatter food in a snuffle mat. These encourage calm, focused licking and sniffing—great stress-busters. Both of these are ideal as supervised toys.
• Utilize Safe Chews – Chewing time helps release endorphins that calm the body and the mind. Leave them with the safe chews for the day, to help release the stress and boredom that can come from a suddenly empty house.
• Scent Work – I like to have a special treat that lets my dog know when she gets this, I’ll be gone for a while. I scatter it through the living room, so when I leave, she is off happily using her nose to find the special treats. This makes the house exit calm and she settles down for a sleep after, knowing that this is the routine.

Burn Energy Before the House Empties

A little effort in the morning goes a long way in making your pet’s day easier.

• A brisk walk, game of fetch, or quick training session before school helps your dog settle in for a nap once the house is quiet.
• Cats benefit too — a quick play with a wand toy or food puzzle gives them that “hunt” satisfaction before you leave.

Calm Their Minds

For some pets, activity isn’t enough—they need extra help calming their nervous systems during this transition.

• Furbabies K9 Calm and Furbabies Feline Calm – gentle herbal support for anxious pets.
• Rescue Remedy – a long-trusted flower essence blend to take the edge off stressful changes.
• Probiotics (Fido’s Flora or Felix’s Flora) – gut health is closely tied to mood and stress. A balanced microbiome supports calmer behaviour.

Make Coming Home Special

Reunions matter. Pets look forward to this all day.

• Keep greetings calm but positive so they don’t associate your arrival with over-excitement.
• Build in a short reunion ritual — a cuddle, a quick walk, or 10 minutes of play before diving into homework or dinner prep. We find for those dogs that are overly excited or anxious when you get home, bringing home a ‘hunting’ treat to give them helps to calm them down. It’s as if you are saying ‘I was out hunting for the pack, and here is your part of what I found’. Our rabbit ear treats are the number one choice for dogs who are anxious when you greet them after being away.

Final Thought

Back-to-school isn’t just an adjustment for the kids—it’s a whole-household reset. With the right tools and a little consistency, your pets can settle into the new routine without stress.

At Pet Grocer, we’ve got enrichment toys, puzzles (including our rental library), Lick Mats, snuffle mats, and calming products to help. Stop in and we’ll set you up with what your dog or cat needs to feel secure and content while the house is quiet.

—Jenn @ Pet Grocer 🐾

Links above are gently underlined - click on them to be taken to our recommendations for your pets!