Trigger stacking and what it can mean for your pet
Welcome back for another riveting blog, which is all about trigger stacking and what it's got to do with spoons!
What is trigger stacking Katie?
I'm so glad you asked me that! Basically speaking it's where events occur that compound (add on top) until the animal or personal reaches breaking point. Heard of the spoons analogy? If you run out of spoons you can't cope anymore. or the old saying 'the straw that broke the camels back'. It’s that kind of thing.
Here's an example
I walk down the road and see a person who usually bumps into me. Makes me worry they will bump me today, then a bag rustles unexpectedly near me and I startle, then I go the dentist for a filling, then I get stuck in traffic on the way home, then see a car outside my neighbours house that has not been there before and they were burgled last week and I worry it might be the burglars, then I get home and there's no coffee left so I have go back out and it's sunny and I forgot my sun lotion, and there are so many people in the shop that it takes ages to be served and when I finally get home, I discover I have left my bag at the shops and can't get in. Cue exploding Katie!
Our phones need to be charged to be fully functional often popping up messages that functions will be limited while the battery is low, similarly you can’t function effectively when your emotional battery is overloaded or about to run out of charge
But that’s a human example, what’s it got to do with my dog/cat/horse…?
It's no different for your pet! The triggers may not all be on the same day, they might occur over a few days, even weeks. But the important thing to remember is, if we can't change the environment enough to help them cope, the stacking might start to happen quicker and quicker each time until they don’t cope much with more and more in their life.
What can I do to help them, Katie?
Go easy on your pet, if they struggle in certain contexts or situations.
If your cat doesn't like being petted by people, ask them not to pet your cat and allow them an exit point in each room and somewhere high up for surveillance. If your new street dog is shivering wreck on their first day, don't expose them to the world yet, give them a few days if not weeks to settle into their new surroundings and begin a gradual exercise program so they can learn to cope. Same with your horse, give them a day off and plenty of time to relax and act naturally, just like you enjoy time off from your job and commitments.
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Marshmallow Loveheart would often hide under the bed, and that’s OK