Just like humans, cat can suffer from stress from time to time. The causes are many and varied and can be due to big changes in their lives such as moving to a new house or a new baby or pet in the family or even something quite small such as a change in routine or food.
Signs of anxiety are also very varied but include loss of weight, becoming less affectionate, vomiting, clawing furniture, apathy or urinating indoors. Because the first thing that you think of when your cat exhibits one or more of these symptoms is physical illness it often takes some time for a cat to be diagnosed with anxiety.
Even once they have been diagnosed most people don’t know what types of cat care are needed to help their pet. If the cause is something small that you can easily change, such as a change in food, then go back to things as they were before. For other causes ensure that their daily routine is set in stone, such as feeding and bedtime. Cats are creatures of habit and so enjoy knowing exactly where they stand. Kennels for cats are also a useful tool for helping as the kennel will become somewhere that the cat sees as a secure, safe place where she can go to rest or sleep without being disturbed. The cat kennel can be moved outside when you go out during the day to help reduce separation anxiety. If you have a dog which your cat gets on well with then you can place it next to the dog kennel, giving your cat an extra feeling of protection.
Giving your cat a lot of extra love and affection is also an important part of reducing their stress and the action of stroking will relax both you and the cat! If nothing seems to be helping to reduce the signs of anxiety then take your cat to the vet who will be able to prescribe drugs which will help.
