Cats are often seen as calm, independent, and unbothered. But beneath that cool exterior, many cats actually suffer from stress and anxiety. While it doesn’t immediately show, anxiety in cats is far more common than many pet owners realize.
This guide will help you understand more about your cat’s anxiety, what causes them, and how they can be helped.
What Causes Anxiety in Cats?
Cats thrive on predictability and a good routine they can count on. This makes them feel safe, protected, and secure. If there are any changes here, then they’ll be stressed out. Here are the common causes of cat anxiety:
Changes in the Environment
Moving to new homes, having new furniture, or bringing in new pets can be overwhelming for cats. They feel safe in familiar spaces with familiar people. Anything new around the house will definitely cause anxiety in cats.
Additionally, any sudden noise, such as fireworks, loud cars, and ongoing construction, can also trigger feline anxiety and fear.
Lack of Socialization or Past Trauma
Cats that weren't well-socialized as kittens may not get used to meeting new people or pets, which then leads to stress and anxiety. Additionally, cats who have experienced past trauma without any resolution can also be more anxious.
The past events can have a lasting trauma on cats. Coupled with the lack of socialization, they’ll be more prone to a lot more stress and anxiety.
Separation Anxiety
Cats who get separated from their owners can become extremely anxious. These are cats who rely heavily on their owners for comfort, affection, and protection. Without their owners nearby, they feel threatened, scared, and anxious.
Health Issues
Health problems in cats, such as arthritis, dental disease, or any disease that causes chronic pain, can negatively impact a cat’s behavior. Additionally, neurological conditions can also lead to behavioral issues such as anxiety.
10 Signs of Anxiety in Cats
Feline anxiety can manifest in various ways. While your cat’s behavioral changes will have the most significance, it’s also worth looking at the physical changes.
Changes in Body Language
Anxious cats can show their feelings through body language. They may flatten their ears, lower their body into a crouched position, or tuck their tail closer to their body. They might appear stiff and frozen. Cats with anxiety may also have dilated pupils as part of the response.
Overall, they might try to make themselves look smaller as a way of hiding from the danger.
Hiding and Avoiding
When a cat feels anxious and overwhelmed, one of the first things they’ll think of is to run and hide. So, if you notice your cat frequently staying in tight spaces, under beds, or behind furniture, then it’s a sign of anxiety in cats.
Additionally, they might become more reserved and avoid other humans and pets alike.
Increased Vocalization and Following
An anxious cat may become more vocal than usual. Cats meow, cry, yowl, or even hiss whenever they feel stressed. It’s often a way of calling for reassurance or their own way of expressing their discomfort and fear.
Along with increased vocalizations, you might notice your cat starting to follow you around the house more often. It’s generally because they feel safe around you and want to be beside you at all times. This gives them the reassurance they need.
Aggressive or Destructive Behavior
If your cat starts to become aggressive or lash out unexpectedly, then there must be something that has stressed them out. Hissing and growling, along with swatting and biting, can be possible signs of anxiety in cats.
Anxious cats may start fights with other pets, become hostile with humans, or destroy some furniture. They may also scratch doors, chew wires, and even knock down items willingly. It’s often a cry for help and a way for them to release their emotions.
Frequent Accidents
Urinating or defecating outside the litter box is one of the most common behavioral problems linked to feline anxiety. Your cat may pee or urinate on bedding, sofas, and clothes as a way to mark territory. This helps them feel more secure.
Restlessness or Pacing
Walking in circles and pacing from room to room are other signs of anxiety in cats. This restlessness is often accompanied by excessive vigilance and caution as they’re on high alert all the time.
Excessive Grooming
While grooming is natural for cats, too much is an area of concern. Grooming is a self-soothing mechanism for feline anxiety. When cats lick themselves, they release endorphines that have a calming effect on them. It’s also deemed a coping mechanism that provides temporary relief.
However, cats can get carried away in some cases. Bald spots and skin irritation are often the result of this activity. This creates additional skin problems that can worsen the issue.
Panting and Trembling
If you notice your cat breathing with an open mouth and trembling, then it’s a clear sign of anxiety in cats. These generally happen suddenly, which is often during very loud noises, unfamiliar environments, and the first trips to the vet.
Changes in Appetite or Sleeping Patterns
Anxiety can significantly affect your cat’s daily rhythms. They might stop eating, begin overeating, or gulp down food unusually fast. Similarly, they might sleep excessively as an escape or have disrupted sleep patterns, including staying awake and pacing.
Gastrointestinal Issues
Additionally, too much stress and anxiety can result in gastrointestinal problems for cats. They might vomit, have diarrhea, or experience abdominal pain. These symptoms come from the stress directly affecting their digestive system.
How Do Vets Diagnose Anxiety in Cats?
While behavioral changes from feline anxiety don’t seem to be much of a threat to their health, prolonged stress can be a problem. The constant anxiety can also signal a few medical issues that need to be addressed. That’s why we need to get to the bottom of it.
First, our pet behaviorists will conduct a full physical exam on your cat. Your input here will be very helpful. The signs of anxiety you observe in your cat will greatly help the diagnostic process. If you have video evidence, that will also be helpful.
If we notice any issue that might have been causing the stress and anxiety, we’ll proceed to specific tests that can be done to diagnose the cause. This can include blood tests, diagnostic imaging, and other tools.
Anti-Anxiety Treatment for Cats
The treatment process will be based on the specific issue your cat is facing. If your cat’s anxiety is coming from specific health issues, then we’ll provide medications, procedures, and treatments for those specific issues.
If we suspect that your cat requires more than just medical techniques, we recommend using techniques to improve your cat’s mental state. This can include:
Enriching your cat’s environment
A happy and enriching environment keeps your cat busy and stimulated, helping avoid stress and anxiety. Add interactive cat toys, scratching posts, and other tools to keep your cat occupied.
Provide vertical spaces like cat trees, window perches, or shelves where your cat can feel secure and stimulated at the same time.
Create predictable routines
Cats thrive on a predictable routine they can depend on. This makes them know what to expect so they can feel safe and secure. Establish and stick to a consistent daily routine, consisting of playing, feeding, and grooming.
Use anti-anxiety products
Pheromone diffusers can mimic the natural feline calming signals and provide comfort for your cat. These products come in sprays, diffusers, treats, and supplements, which means they are easy to use.
Provide prescription medications
We may also prescribe prescription medications from our pet pharmacy to help relieve your cat’s anxiety and provide a feeling of comfort. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, can increase serotonin levels in the brain, helping reduce cat anxiety-related behaviors.
There are also benzodiazepines, which are medications that enhance the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a chemical that helps cats feel calm.
Try out behavioral modification methods
In some cases, you can also try out a few behavioral modification methods. Try exposing your cat to triggers such as new pets or maybe even your car. Do this in a very slow and gradual manner, as we want your cat to slowly become used to these things.
Once your cat starts to show comfort and confidence, you can increase the intensity of exposure. To help, you can also provide treats to give positive reinforcement and praise.
“Behind every meow is a cat calling for help. Being there is the start of helping them feel safe and secure.”
- Dr. Nenad Misura
Final Thoughts
Anxiety in cats can be confusing, as we don’t fully understand how cats think. But with the right care and attention, we can slowly understand our cats and provide the tools and support they need to thrive.
Through time and a few enriching methods, we can reduce our cats’ anxiety and bring out their confidence.
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