The kids are back at school and Jake the dog and Bella the cat are showing signs of stress. Jake marked on the edge of the bed this week, something he never does, and Bella is yowling and pacing. To help you and your animal companions with the transition, Kit Jenkins, a pet behavior consultant, offers the following advice:

Importance of routine: Remember that for pets, routine is first and foremost in making them feel safe. When your schedule changes, consider the impact on them. To transition smoothly, you can gradually adjust the schedule back to your pre-summer-vacation routine.

Feeding times are important:  If the pets were fed at 9:00am all summer and the kids leave for school now at 8:15 am, then put the pets’ food bowls down right before you leave for school, rather than when the kids first get out of bed. Schedule dinnertime as close as you can to the usual evening feeding.

New use for dirty laundry: When kids head off to school, try leaving one piece of their dirty laundry in the dog bed and wherever the cat hangs out. The scent of their favorite kid is very comforting to our animal companions.

No attention deficit: At night encourage your children, who may be busier than ever, to spend the usual amount of quality time with the dog and cat. Make it a family project to devote a block of time for walking and attention, such as a favorite game. This will be reassuring to the pets who may be off-balance from a new schedule.

Be patient with, and sensitive to your animal companions’ need for routine, and they will adjust to your new back-to-school schedule quickly.