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Daylight saving time for pets: how to help your dog or cat
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Clocks fall back on Sunday, Nov. 1. We know it's coming, but our pets may need a little help from us.

Rob Shackelford
ByRob Shackelford•
October 28, 2026Updated: October 28, 2026, 8:02 am EDTPublished: October 28, 2026, 5:56 am EDT

Time change and pets: Fall back in lockstep with your dog or cat

Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 1, and your dog or cat will probably let you know an hour early. 

At 2 a.m., clocks go back one hour, but your pet's body won't. Here is how you can have a smooth time change experience with your pets.

Dog eating

Cute Border terrier puppy eating from a dog bowl. Animal feeding times can be impacted by the time change, so making a minor shift to feeding schedules the week before can help them adjust easily.

(Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Shift the routine together

Animals run on light and routine and don’t think of time like we do. So if breakfast for them has been at 7 a.m., they will be ready at 6 a.m. 

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The fix is to adjust gradually, and the best time to start is now.

Veterinary behavior experts recommend pushing feeding, walks and bedtime back 10 to 15 minutes a day in the week before the change. 

(MORE: When does daylight saving time end in 2026? Your questions answered)

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If your dog usually eats at 7 a.m., try 7:15 the first day, 7:30 the next, and keep going. By Sunday, the new clock time will feel normal to both of you.

There is an important caveat, however: pets on time-sensitive medication, such as insulin for diabetes, shouldn't have their schedule shifted by a full hour at once. Ask your veterinarian for a safe adjustment plan first.

Sleeping in bed with dog.

If you move routine events for your pet by 10-15 minutes this week, you can help alleviate some of the issues they may have with the clocks changing.

(Wodicka/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

(MORE: Fall back hits these places hardest with earlier sunsets)

Expect darker evening walks

Falling back also means sunset arrives earlier. That evening walk with your dog will soon happen after dark.

A 2025 IIHS study found fatal pedestrian and bicyclist crashes rose 13% in the five weeks after the fall time change, when darkness arrives during evening commute hours.

A reflective collar, a clip-on LED light and up-to-date ID tags help keep you both visible and safe.

Walking dog at night

A light ball and illuminated collar can help the morning walk stay safer after the clocks change.

(Frank Rumpenhorst/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Plan for a little patience

Your pet's bladder doesn't know the clocks changed, so Sunday morning may start with an early trip outside. Wake up a bit sooner to let them out. A few days of whining or clinginess is normal while their internal clock catches up.

Adjust together, and you both get that extra hour.

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