Help Cats Deal With Anxiety

Cats are often prone to developing severe cases of anxiety due to changes in their lifestyle, your routine, or even their food. Since cats can be such finicky creatures, it is necessary to try and keep their everyday routine as normal as possible. If a change in a cats' lifestyle is going to take place soon, take the needed steps to ensure that they have a safe and stress free transition, as anxiety and take quite a toll on a cat's health.

Symptoms of Anxiety in Cats

There are several symptoms that a cat can exhibit when it is experiencing stress. No every cat responds in the same way however, and no single cat will exhibit each of these symptoms of anxiety. However, you should take immediate action to calm the cat, as anxiety often increases over time if the situation is not resolved.

Physical symptoms include nausea, weight loss, apathy, vomiting, pacing, excessive chewing or biting of their skin and fur, clawing, urinating around the home, and loss of affection. You may find that your cat may begin to hide outside or under furniture if it is experiencing anxiety.

Treating Anxiety in Cats

There are many treatments that can be used to help calm a cat experiencing anxiety. Different treatments are used for various levels of agitation, and prescription drugs are often used to treat cats with chronic cases of anxiety. If anything in your life has changed, such as the arrival of a new baby, a divorce, or a new job, then you cat may start to exhibit signs of anxiety right away. Since cats don't deal with change well, it is necessary for you to help soothe your cat in these situations, until they can become accustomed to their new lifestyle. Try giving your cat extra attention, and releasing soothing cat pheromones into the air to calm your cat during these times.

Useful tip: try mixing some fluid from a tin of drained tuna with your cat's water. This will encourage her to drink more and fluids are an important part of any anxiety treatment.

If your cat is a chronic worrier and is always exhibiting signs of anxiety, then it is important that you take them to the veterinarian right away. The vet will more than likely prescribe an anti-anxiety medication that can be given to your cat everyday to help keep them free from anxiety and stress.

Often anxiety will go unnoticed in a cat until it has reached a critical level. Pet owners may often mistake the physical symptoms of anxiety as a cold or slight flu in their cat. It is important to watch your cat closely, and to help soothe it as soon as signs of anxiety or stress are spotted. If treated quickly, anxiety in cats is a manageable and completely reversible condition.

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