Daylight Savings And Pets: Start Gradual Adjustments Now

Love it or hate it, daylight savings is upon us again. As clocks move an hour backward on April 6, many of us will be adjusting to shorter afternoons, disrupted sleep, and the usual range of mixed feelings.

While most of us have an opinion about the time change, many of us overlook how it impacts our pets. As you might get an extra hour of sleep in the morning, take a moment to think about how the sudden shift in routine might affect your dog or cat.

Our pets often rely on consistent schedules and change like this can disrupt their habits.

“Yes, daylight saving does come as a shock to the system,” agrees Michelle le Long, COO at pet insurance specialist, PD Insurance. “But pets take their behavioural cues directly from us. Notice how your pooch seems to know when you’re packing for a holiday? Or even knows when you’re leaving for work? Daylight saving can be an even bigger deal, and there are multiple tactics available to help them cope.”

Circadian rhythms

Getting high school biology vibes yet? You should be, because just about all living things have circadian rhythms. Yes, even cats (though they do tend to be on their own mission…more on that momentarily).

Circadian rhythms are the physical, mental, and behavioural changes that follow a 24-hour cycle – basically, a biological clock telling you how to feel at different times of the day. If you’ve ever had to speak with someone on an entirely different time zone, you’ll appreciate how different things are when they’re winding down for the night while you’re on morning coffee.

Dogs – which are diurnal like us (daytime creatures…and creatures of habit) have those rhythms. Interfere with them, and the dog becomes as dazed as many of us are.

Now, cats. Interestingly, cats are crepuscular, a fabulous word meaning most active at dusk or dawn. Or, as you might know, fond of caterwauling in the very early hours in some cases. “Not only are cats crepuscular, but they tend not to care quite as much for our comings and goings as their canine counterparts do. So, while they of course have their own circadian rhythms, those tend to be somewhat independent of our own,” says le Long.

About those habits

The habits dogs have generally revolve around food, exercise, and, well, getting rid of the food and drink as nature takes its course. Most dogs expect their food at a regular hour; when the clocks shift, that hour isn’t quite as regular as it once was. You might get some early wake-up calls or impatient ‘hangry’ stares for dinner.

“The result of hangry can be acting out, chewing, or puppy-dog eyes. Or even a raid or two on the bins,” laughs le Long. Walkies are generally expected at roughly the same time every day, too. And, of course, many pups start the day with a quick visit outside for ‘taking care of business’.

Helping dogs cope

Since the cats are off on their own mission, your efforts at smoother sailing for daylight saving should be focused predominantly on the pooch.

The biggest issue you want smoothed over is the suddenness of the change. It’s exactly this that takes most of us by surprise, though we have plenty of advance warning (including all those clocks still on ‘pre-shift’ time, which either become accurate again overnight, or will now remain out of whack for months on end).

You know where this is going. “Make the change more gradual, and the impact will be dramatically reduced for your pets,” says le Long. “Shift meals and walks 15 minutes earlier daily.”

Her suggestions include letting the dog sleep in, going to bed earlier, and gradually shifting walk and food times towards the new schedule.

And, while daylight savings is all about time, her suggestions are timeless. “Before we know it, daylight saving starts again, and the cycle repeats. If you notice your doggies behaving oddly, try a few daylight-saving coping techniques to ease the transition and make it less stressful for pets and family alike.”

About PD Insurance (pd.co.nz)

pd.co.nz is a pet insurance specialist offering low-cost pet insurance with no annual lock-in contracts. The business is committed to fast and fair claims and its customer service philosophy centres around Simplicity (in service delivery) and Soft Landings (a commitment to providing customers a gentle landing in times of need).

Headquartered in Auckland and part of Pacific International Insurance, pd.co.nz has partnered with Healthy Pets New Zealand and Dogs New Zealand to promote pet health and responsible ownership. Recognised for excellence, the business won the 2024 Reader's Digest Silver Pet Insurance award, the 2023 MoneyHub Favourite Pet Insurer Award and Canstar's 2022 Most Satisfied Customers - Pet Insurance award.

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