How to Relieve Anxiety in Cats

Anxiety can quickly impact your cat's health. Under stress, a seemingly sweet and gentle cat may exhibit negative behavior such as aggression and urinating to mark territory. Sometimes stress cannot be avoided, especially in situations such as moving to a new house or welcoming new family members. Cat owners limit or reduce anxiety in their cats by addressing the causes of stress and, if necessary, administering either holistic or allopathic treatment.

Things You'll Need

• Cat tower or shelter
• Cat pheromone treatment
• Feline anxiety drugs
• Lavender oil spray
• Cat vitamin supplements

Instructions

1. Signs of stress often include excessive meowing, spraying urine, not eating and excessive shaking or trembling. Remove or resolve the source for the anxiety if possible. Common anxiety sources for cats include a dirty litter box, flea infestations, sudden changes in diet or strange new smells in the home.

2. Take the cat to a veterinarian for a thorough health checkup and physical. Some types of anxiety and stress may be caused by a disease or health condition, for which external therapy or stress relievers cannot help.

3. Give the cat a sanctuary that is quiet and secluded, and away from household activity and noise. This may be his or her own corner of a bedroom, or a climb-up cat tower or shelter. Cats enjoy being off the ground where they feel safe.

4. Consult with your cat's veterinarian to determine whether a prescription anxiety drug can help soothe and calm your feline companion. Prescription cat drugs include clomipramine and diazepam, and are often incorporated into a comprehensive treatment plan to relieve cat anxiety.

5. Spray your home with a synthetic pheromone treatment. Positive pheromones can help make your home seem less-threatening, and can help resolve anxiety caused by new household situations.

6. Feed the cat feline supplements containing ingredients that may relieve anxiety, including B-vitamins and tryptophan. Obtain specific supplement product suggestions from your veterinarian to match your cat's age and health condition.

Tips & Warnings

• Giving the cat an outlet for energy, such as toys or a window facing a bird feeder, can help the cat naturally relieve some of his or her own stress.

• While some people recommend lavender aromatherapy for cats, be very cautious about using any essential oil around a cat. Cats have trouble eliminating toxins from their systems, more so than other animals, and essential oil is toxic for them. If you want to diffuse lavender to calm your cat, be sure to do so in a well-ventilated area, and make sure that the cat has access at all times to an area that has not been treated.

References

• "The Humane Society of the United States Complete Guide to Cat Care;" Wendy Christensen; 2004
• "The Cat Owner's Manual;" Sam Stall and David Brunner; 2005
• The Lavendar Cat

Resources

• Cats International: Understanding Cat Stress Factors