If your cat has anxiety, you may notice pacing or restlessness, hiding, decreased appetite, vocalization, hypervigilance, trembling, salivation, and excessive grooming.
Cat anxiety may be caused by pain or illness, exposure to something toxic or infectious diseases that affect the nervous system. A psychological trigger may be to blame, like a traumatic experience, lack of proper socialization or a history of abuse or neglect.
Your anxious cat is likely to have very wide, rounded eyes and very dilated pupils. Your cat's ears will be flattened down to the sides, or in extreme situations, pressed back against their head so that they are no longer visible.
There are a few telltale signs that should indicate a cat has anxiety. These signs include pacing or restlessness, decreased appetite, excessive meowing, aggression, hiding, and more. If you see your cat start to exhibit one or more of these signs, they're likely suffering from anxiety.
Signs of Emotional Trauma in Cats and Dogs
Trauma can also manifest as “shaking, hiding, urination and/or defecation when the trigger attempts to interact, howling, pacing, excessive vocalization, and panting,” says Pia Silvani, director of behavioral rehabilitation at the ASPCA's Behavioral Rehabilitation Center.
Toys and games let your cat burn some nervous energy, and help strengthen the bond between the two of you. Toys that they can play with on their own, scratching and climbing posts and other cat accessories help keep your cat entertained, lowering their stress levels and improving their quality of life.
Cats may lose their appetite or be sick occasionally or behave in a way that owners have never seen before, such as spraying urine against the wall indoors or behaving aggressively. The sooner you realise that your cat could be experiencing stress, the sooner you can resolve the problem.
Anxiety is relatively common in cats. Veterinarians estimate that they treat 20-25 percent of their feline patients for symptoms of anxiety (1). Those symptoms—like spraying outside the litter box, incessant meowing, aggression, or hiding—can be as distressing for humans as they are for the suffering cat.
Given that catnip can have a calming, soothing effect, it can be used to: help reduce a cat's stress and anxiety when going to the vet, help reduce stress when traveling, help with urinary issues (note that stress is a major contributing factor to urinary obstruction in cats!).
With an approach combining behavioral modification, environmental changes, calming aids and potential medication, most cats can overcome or lessen their anxiety, and be able to lead a much happier life.
Lavender, which has natural sedative properties, may help soothe an anxious cat. Copaiba, helichrysum, and frankincense are also considered safe for cats. Before using essential oils, even in the form of diffused scents, around your cats, check with your holistic veterinarian for recommendations.
If your cat has gone through a harrowing experience, they might feel like they need to be on the defensive all the time in order to be safe. If you find that your cat is particularly aggressive, clawing, scratching, pawing or biting, this is an important note to discuss with your vet since it may be a sign of PTSD.
While every cat has a different personality, the general signs of separation anxiety in felines are: Excessive meowing, crying or moaning. Eating too fast or not eating at all. Excessive self-grooming.
Cats who are painful may withdraw from their usual family interactions, may become less engaged in their surroundings, and may start hiding. You may notice decreased eating and/or drinking. You may also notice changes in sleeping patterns. Some may sleep more, while others may sleep less.
If your cat has anxiety, you may notice pacing or restlessness, hiding, decreased appetite, vocalization, hypervigilance, trembling, salivation, and excessive grooming.
In fact, a recent study that used university students (who are notoriously stressed) as subjects found that petting cats and dogs for 10 minutes decreased the amount of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their saliva. These findings are consistent with the notion that interacting with cats and dogs decreases stress.
Cat anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of ways, so there are both long-term and short-term anti-anxiety medications available.
The transition to adulthood ordinarily occurs from 1 to 2 years old. At this time, and possibly after neutering, a cat may retain a lot of energy but should be notably calmer with it reaching full maturity at 2. From 3 to 10 years old, a cat is relatively calm but remains active.
Fear, stress, pain, or anxiety can also lead cats to meow. Repeated meows can be a cat's way to let you know they are under stress due to pain or because they are scared or anxious due to a person or animal in the house.
Stress in cats acts much the same way. Not only can it exacerbate existing physical conditions, but it can lead to a number of problems often considered behavioral, such as litter box avoidance, aggressive behavior, or depression and withdrawal.