Feline Anxiety
Stress and anxiety in cats are becoming more common issues as we learn more about feline behavior. Feline anxiety can be difficult to diagnose, but if left untreated can lead to worsening physical and behavioral issues.
Causes of Anxiety
Cats are very sensitive creatures. Because of this, there are a variety of reasons for your cat to be stressed. Changes in environment, from moving the litterbox to moving to a new home, could be enough to trigger stress and anxiety in your cat. Sometimes internal changes, like pain or illness, can also trigger stress. Other issues such as past trauma or lack of socialization can also be major factors when it comes to feline anxiety. If you notice signs of stress in your cat, make an appointment with your veterinarian to help get to the root cause and to figure out the best treatment!
Signs of Stress
Feline anxiety and stress can cause both physical and behavioral issues. The most common signs of feline anxiety are over-grooming, going outside of the litterbox, and increased vocalization. You may also notice your cat becoming less social or even hiding from you. Unfortunately, many of the signs noticed with feline anxiety are also symptoms of illness, making anxiety hard to diagnose in the cat. Your veterinarian will likely run different tests to rule out illness prior to starting any treatments or medications to help with anxiety.
Carrier and Travel Anxiety
Sometimes stress can be situational, like getting in the carrier or traveling in the car. Taking time to work with your cat on these issues can help lessen this anxiety and make trips easier for you and your feline friend! If your cat seems stressed getting into the carrier, start by leaving the carrier out all the time with the door open. This allows your cat to become acclimated to the carrier on their own without being forced into it and makes it a more familiar surrounding. Once the carrier has been out for a while and your cat seems more used to it, start feeding the cat and giving treats near the carrier. As your cat seems more comfortable, slowly move the food and treats closer to the carrier over several days or weeks. Once you feel your cat is comfortable, try moving the food into the carrier for meals (leaving the door open at first and slowly working on keeping the door closed as your pet eats). This will take a while but helps positively enforce that the carrier is good space! Using things like catnip, pheromones, and comfortable bedding in a carrier can also help keep your kitty calm. Once your pet is used to the carrier, using the same slow process can help with car/travel anxiety! Starting with taking the cat and carrier out to the car then bringing back in and slowly working your way to taking small trips (and eventually longer trips) can help slowly acclimate your cat to car rides. Using their favorite treats and foods to reward positive responses can also help keep anxiety at a minimum.
Causes of Anxiety
Cats are very sensitive creatures. Because of this, there are a variety of reasons for your cat to be stressed. Changes in environment, from moving the litterbox to moving to a new home, could be enough to trigger stress and anxiety in your cat. Sometimes internal changes, like pain or illness, can also trigger stress. Other issues such as past trauma or lack of socialization can also be major factors when it comes to feline anxiety. If you notice signs of stress in your cat, make an appointment with your veterinarian to help get to the root cause and to figure out the best treatment!
Signs of Stress
Feline anxiety and stress can cause both physical and behavioral issues. The most common signs of feline anxiety are over-grooming, going outside of the litterbox, and increased vocalization. You may also notice your cat becoming less social or even hiding from you. Unfortunately, many of the signs noticed with feline anxiety are also symptoms of illness, making anxiety hard to diagnose in the cat. Your veterinarian will likely run different tests to rule out illness prior to starting any treatments or medications to help with anxiety.
Carrier and Travel Anxiety
Sometimes stress can be situational, like getting in the carrier or traveling in the car. Taking time to work with your cat on these issues can help lessen this anxiety and make trips easier for you and your feline friend! If your cat seems stressed getting into the carrier, start by leaving the carrier out all the time with the door open. This allows your cat to become acclimated to the carrier on their own without being forced into it and makes it a more familiar surrounding. Once the carrier has been out for a while and your cat seems more used to it, start feeding the cat and giving treats near the carrier. As your cat seems more comfortable, slowly move the food and treats closer to the carrier over several days or weeks. Once you feel your cat is comfortable, try moving the food into the carrier for meals (leaving the door open at first and slowly working on keeping the door closed as your pet eats). This will take a while but helps positively enforce that the carrier is good space! Using things like catnip, pheromones, and comfortable bedding in a carrier can also help keep your kitty calm. Once your pet is used to the carrier, using the same slow process can help with car/travel anxiety! Starting with taking the cat and carrier out to the car then bringing back in and slowly working your way to taking small trips (and eventually longer trips) can help slowly acclimate your cat to car rides. Using their favorite treats and foods to reward positive responses can also help keep anxiety at a minimum.