Bored Panda reached out to Karen Johnson, a doctor of veterinary medicine, certified canine rehabilitation practitioner, and the co-founder of VIP Vet Visit, who shared her expertise on pets dealing with stressful situations. Because apparently, it’s not only us who get our blood up to a boiling temperature from time to time.

Karen explained that every pet handles stress differently, but it’s important to notice what your particular pet does when they’re having hard times. Having said that, some pets do, in fact, cope with stress better than others.

“Dogs seem to be better equipped to handle stressful situations than cats,” the doctor explained. “Cats,” on the other hand, “very often can make themselves ill due to stress or have behavioral problems such as urinating outside the litter box.”

Often, it's people who add some fire to animals' stress levels. “It is very noticeable that if an owner is worried or stressed, the pet becomes anxious, nervous, and stressed as well. They can sense your emotions.”

Imagine if your pet saw you reacting like the world is turning against you after your car keys got into the drain hole—chances are, he would be stressed out too.

The canine rehabilitation practitioner warned owners to look out for these signs of stress in pets: panting, shaking, lip licking, yawning, whining, pacing, hiding and shedding.

“If you notice any of these behaviors, you should stay calm and relaxed,” Karen suggested. Only when you’re feeling calm yourself can you go on to the next step of finding out what triggers averse emotions in your furry friend.