Has it been a while since your cat used the litter tray? Or is your cat generally hiding away, being unreasonably aggressive or just meowing purposelessly?
Well, we hate to break it down to you, but your cat may be dealing with anxiety.
Yes, it isn’t too common, but still, it happens in several cases, and that’s when you need to take the right steps to free your playful friend from trouble.
So, buckle up. Here are four tips to help you release your cat’s anxiety.
First of All, What are the Symptoms?
Before you start treating your cat for anxiety, you need to figure out whether your cat is really facing anxiety.
For making it easier, here are the common symptoms of cat anxiety:
- Increased Laziness
- Not using the litter tray
- Loss of appetite or change of eating routine/habits
- Following people in the house
- Frequent mood changes
- Hiding
- Aggression
- Increase in meowing (or other vocal sounds)
Cat anxiety isn’t something that can be spotted through a medical test. It’s always concluded through symptoms which you (as the cat’s parent) can also notice. So, pay attention to the signs and your cat’s behaviour.
Moving further, let’s see what you can do once you find out about your cat’s anxiety.
1. Ensure Good Health
One common reason why many cats feel anxious is poor health. And then, cats are programmed (not literally programmed, but born this way) to be great pretenders. This helps them hide away their pains and troubles better than other pet animals.
But then, this can be a problem if you fail to notice your cat’s poor health as it may lead to anxiety and several other ailments.
One fine way of making sure that your furry friend is in good health is by consulting a vet at regular intervals.
2. Reward Your Cat With a Cat Tree
Cats generally like hideouts, and a cat tree serves the purpose correctly. This will allow your cat to carelessly rest away from potential human interaction (anxious cats would anyway want to avoid that).
So, think about it and explore your options for a cat tree that’s suitable for your cat.
3. Let Your Cat Have The Fun of Hunting
Humans like indulging in several exciting activities when they are in stress. And it helps. The same can work wonders for your cat as well.
Cats are fond of hunting, especially when it’s for food.
If your cat is going through stress, you can use hunting as a fun escapade to cheer your purring friend.
And how to do this?
You can use general puzzles with food rewards laid around the house, so your cat can have all the fun, looking for and enjoying the feast.
4. Use Medicinal Means
Apart from the recreational means, cat anxiety can also be released using several medicinal methods, for example, CBD oil.
An excellent stress remedy that helps human patients deal with conditions like PTSD and other stresses is known to help ease stress in dogs and cats as well.
What CBD does is trigger anxiety-reducing effects at the 5-HT1A receptor present in the serotonin system. Thanks to the endocannabinoid system that cats have.
Note: CBD isn’t harmful to health but can be ineffective if served in unfit quantities. This is why you must make sure you know enough about CBD oil dosage for cats before buying/using.
Final words
Cat anxiety isn’t the most common cat problem that you may come off, but when it takes over, life can be difficult for you, the parent and your beloved cat as well.
That’s why it’s best to keep stresses at bay using the aforementioned tips.
Hopefully, this was helpful.