Does your cat meow endlessly into the night and insist on following you around?
Or maybe they hide most of the day and get aggressive for no reason. These behaviors may be coupled with more damaging behaviors, like scratching the furniture and going outside the litter box.
Your first step will be to take them to the vet in Sykesville to check for any physical causes for these behaviors. If the vet gives them a clean bill of health, then your cat may be suffering from anxiety.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to deal with these behaviors forever. There are many ways to help anxiety in cats.
Do you want to know what they are? Keep reading to learn how you can help an anxiety-ridden kitty.
Avoid Change
While you may think your cat is laid-back, the truth is, most cats hate change. If you’re constantly moving, rearranging your furniture, or throwing parties, your cat is going to live in a constant state of stress.
The best thing you can do for them is to avoid change whenever necessary. Have a pet sitter come over and watch your cat instead of taking them to a kennel if you’re going on vacation. Have small get-togethers with the same group of friends instead of having all out ragers with people you barely know (and your cat doesn’t know at all).
The more constant your home environment stays, the safer your furry friend will feel.
Give Them Their Own Space
Of course, change is inevitable. If you aren’t ready to give up those ragers or if you like to move your furniture around every month, make sure you give your cat a safe space.
Pick an area that’s quiet and doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic. Keep a pet bed or kitty hideaway there and commit to keeping it the same. If your cat already has a favorite hiding place, this is a great area to use.
If you have kids, be sure to tell them not to grab the cat or try to play with it when it’s in its safe space. Your cat will feel safer and less anxious when they know they have a place to go where they can be alone.
Get Calming Sprays and Diffusers
If your cat is still exhibiting signs of anxiety, consider taking things up a notch. Calming sprays and diffusers are available, and they work wonders.
These products emit feline pheromones which mimic your own cat’s pheromones and will help them relax. Pheromone diffusers can be plugged into the wall for a constant relaxing presence (don’t worry – humans can’t smell pheromones). Sprays can be used in a cat’s safe space or in their carrier before a vet visit.
Medicate Them
Just like humans, cat’s have all different kinds of personalities. And just like some humans are anxious, some cats are just anxious. If you’ve done everything you can, but your kitty is still displaying cat anxiety symptoms, it may be time to talk to your vet in Sykesville about prescription anxiety medications.
Fluoxetine for cats is a common option and is better known by its brand name, Prozac. While it can take a few weeks to fully kick in, you should notice a huge difference in your cat’s behavior.
Lessening Anxiety in Cats
If you have an anxiety-ridden cat, you may be at your wit’s end with all the meowing and scratching. But, there are things you can do to help. Just follow our guide to lessening anxiety in cats, so you and your kitty can finally relax.
Is it time to take Fluffy to the vet? Contact us today to make an appointment.