3 Signs Your Pet Is Absorbing Your Stress (And What to Do About It)
You've had one of those weeks. Work is overwhelming, family dynamics are tense, and your nervous system hasn't stopped buzzing since Monday. You collapse on the couch, and your dog—who's usually calm—starts pacing. Your cat won't leave your side. Your horse is spooky during what should be a routine ride.
ou might chalk it up to coincidence. But here's what I've learned working with animals and their people: pets are emotional sponges. They don't just live alongside us—they absorb our energy, our stress, our anxiety. And if you're an empath or highly sensitive person, your pet is likely one too.
Why Pets Absorb Our Stress
Animals are incredibly attuned to energy. They don't have the same mental filters humans develop. When you walk into a room carrying stress, your pet doesn't think, "Oh, that's about their job." They just feel the heaviness. The tension. The fear.
This is especially true for animals who live with empaths. If you're someone who absorbs other people's emotions, your pet has learned to read energy as a survival skill. They're watching you for cues about safety. When your energy says "danger," even if you're just worried about paying bills, your pet's nervous system responds.
Your root chakra sits at the base of your spine—the same place you feel that knot when anxious. When your root chakra is blocked or overactive from stress, your pet feels this energetic disruption. They don't understand that your anxiety is about work or money or relationships. They just sense instability in their pack leader.
The 3 Signs Your Pet Is Absorbing Your Stress
1. Sudden Behavior Changes
Your normally independent cat becomes velcro. Your confident dog starts following you room to room. Your horse, who's always been steady, becomes reactive or refuses to work.
These aren't random mood swings. When animals absorb our stress, they often become hypervigilant. They're trying to monitor the threat they sense in your energy. A cat who won't leave your lap is saying, "I feel your anxiety and I'm trying to help regulate it." A dog who paces while you're on a stressful phone call is mirroring your dysregulated nervous system.
I've seen this countless times in my Animal Reiki practice. A client came to me because her dog had suddenly become "clingy and anxious." When we talked, she shared she'd been going through a difficult divorce. Her stress was palpable—and her dog was absorbing every bit of it, trying to soothe her by staying close.
2. Physical Symptoms Without Medical Cause
Your pet develops digestive issues. Skin problems. Limping that the vet can't explain. Excessive grooming or scratching.
Here's what's happening: when animals absorb emotional energy, it has to go somewhere. Just like humans store stress in their bodies—tight shoulders, upset stomach, tension headaches—animals store absorbed stress in their physical bodies.
Their solar plexus chakra (located in the upper belly) is the energy center that processes emotions. When your pet is absorbing your stress, anxiety, or overwhelm, this chakra becomes overloaded. The result? Digestive issues, loss of appetite, or even vomiting. Not because they're physically ill, but because they're energetically overwhelmed.
I worked with a horse whose owner was going through tremendous grief. The horse developed unexplained colic episodes—three trips to the vet, no medical cause found. During our first Animal Reiki session, the horse released so much stored emotional energy that the colic stopped. The horse wasn't sick. The horse was heartbroken for his person.
3. Mirroring Your Anxiety Patterns
You can't sleep, and suddenly your pet is restless at night. You're having panic attacks, and your dog starts panting for no reason. You're avoiding social situations, and your cat hides when visitors come over.
Animals don't just sense our stress—they often mirror our coping mechanisms. If you're in fight-or-flight mode, your pet's nervous system matches yours. If you're shutting down emotionally, your pet may become lethargic or withdrawn.
This mirroring happens at the energetic level. Your pet's chakra system is responding to the disruption in yours. When your heart chakra is closed off to protect yourself from pain, your pet's heart chakra often contracts too. When your throat chakra is blocked because you can't speak your truth, your pet may develop respiratory issues or excessive barking.
One of my clients, a massage therapist and empath, came to me because her cat had started over-grooming to the point of creating bald patches. As we talked, she realized the grooming had started right when she'd taken on too many clients and was feeling completely depleted. Her cat was literally trying to "clean off" the absorbed energy—the same way my client felt the need to shower immediately after seeing clients.
What This Means If You're an Empath
If you're reading this and nodding along, there's a good chance you're an empath. And if you're an empath, your pet probably is too.
Empaths attract empathic animals. We recognize each other. You likely chose your pet (or they chose you) because of this shared sensitivity. It's a beautiful bond—but it also means your pet is particularly vulnerable to absorbing your emotional energy.
Here's what I want you to understand: your pet's anxiety isn't separate from yours. You're in an energetic feedback loop. Your stress affects your pet. Your pet's anxiety then increases your stress. And round and round it goes.
The good news? When you heal your energy, your pet often heals too.
How to Help Your Pet (and Yourself)
Create Energetic Boundaries
Just because you're an empath doesn't mean you have to be an emotional dumping ground—and the same is true for your pet. Practice simple grounding techniques:
Root chakra grounding for you: Stand barefoot on the earth for five minutes daily. Visualize roots growing from the base of your spine into the ground.
Create a calm energy bubble: Before you interact with your pet after a stressful day, take three deep breaths. Imagine placing your stress in a container outside your home. Step into your space only when you feel more neutral.
Physical separation during peak stress: If you're having a really rough moment, it's okay to give your pet space. Go into another room to process your emotions first.
Daily Energy Clearing for Both of You
Your pet needs energetic hygiene just like you do:
Brush or pet your animal with intention: As you stroke them, visualize any absorbed stress leaving their body and going into the earth.
Sound clearing: Ring a bell or singing bowl near your pet's space to clear stagnant energy.
Fresh air and sunlight: Let your pet spend time outside. Nature is the best energy cleanser.
Work with Crystals
Certain crystals can help create energetic protection for your pet:
Black tourmaline near their bed to absorb negative energy
Rose quartz to keep their heart chakra open and balanced
Amethyst for calming anxious energy
Place crystals in their space (not where they can eat them), and cleanse the stones weekly by leaving them in moonlight or using smoke from sacred herbs.
When to Consider Professional Support
Sometimes, DIY practices aren't enough—especially if the energetic pattern has been going on for months or years.
Consider Animal Reiki if:
Your pet's behavior or physical symptoms persist despite veterinary care
You've tried grounding and clearing practices but the anxiety cycle continues
Your pet experienced trauma (rescue animals, abuse, surgery, loss of a companion)
You're going through a major life transition (divorce, move, grief, career change)
You sense your pet is holding energetic patterns that need deeper release
Animal Reiki works by clearing blocked energy in your pet's chakra system and helping them release absorbed stress that doesn't belong to them. It's gentle, non-invasive, and animals almost always love it. I've watched countless dogs fall asleep during sessions, cats purr and stretch, and horses lower their heads and sigh in relief.
Here's what makes Animal Reiki particularly powerful: it doesn't just help your pet. When your pet's energy shifts, it often helps your energy shift too. That feedback loop I mentioned? It works both ways. As your pet releases stress and finds calm, their peaceful energy supports your nervous system in regulating.
Pet + Person Sessions: Healing Together
Sometimes the most effective path is healing together. If you and your pet are caught in that stress feedback loop, a combined session addresses both sides of the equation. I work with your energy and your pet's energy in the same session, helping both of you release what you're carrying and re-establish healthy energetic boundaries.
Many of my clients find that after a Pet + Person session, they both sleep better that night. The anxious pacing stops. The velcro behavior eases. The house feels lighter.
Your Next Steps
If you recognized your pet in any of these three signs, take a breath. You're not doing anything wrong. Your pet loves you and wants to support you—they just need a little help learning how to do that without absorbing your stress.
Start with the simple practices above. Notice what shifts. And if you feel called to explore deeper healing, I'm here.
Book an Animal Reiki Session →
Whether you come in for your pet alone or choose a Pet + Person session, my goal is to help both of you feel safe, grounded, and at peace in your own energy.
Your pet doesn't need you to be perfect. They just need you to be aware. And now you are.
