Animals get stressed just as people do. Everything from loud noises and bright lights to crowded places and strange locations can make pets jumpy and irritable.
Some of the same things that calm the animals' owners work equally well for them. A nice, gentle massage helps relax tense muscles. So does hand stroking and brushing. Animals seem to like being touched in a loving way when they're under a lot of stress. Finger and hand caressing seems to help their bodies unwind and put them at ease.
Soft music works its own kind of magic. Animal psychologists discovered some years ago that not only does music "soothe the savage beast" within, but it changes the mood and behavior or pets as well. Fear and aggression are replaced by calmness and peace. When soothing sounds are played, inner anxieties disappear. Animals no longer are frustrated but feel a sense of confidence within themselves.
