Just as in people, our lovely fur babies can experience anxiety and can become very stressed in certain situations. If you’re concerned that your cat may be experiencing anxiety, there are some signs you can watch for, such as; trembling, withdrawal or hiding, diarrhea, becoming less active etc. Luckily, there are some ways you can help your kitty out during these tough times!
Thundershirts for Cats
A thundershirt for cats is a kitty sized compression vest that applies gentle, constant pressure to your cat while wearing it. It has been reported this pressure can calm anxiety and stress in animals. Although thundershirts have been proven useful for dogs, not many studies have been done on cat thundershirts, so if you have a fidgety kitty, you may want to try another option!
Cat Calming Pheromone Diffusers
Cat pheromone diffusers such as the Feliway diffuser, are a great option for helping relieve your cat’s anxiety within your home. Essentially, these pheromone diffusers release a synthetic version of the feline facial pheromones, which has been shown to aid in anxiety for cats. Another option for the Feliway diffuser is the MultiCat diffuser, which is specifically targeted towards multi-cat households and providing harmony amongst the other cats! These diffusers use a synthetic version of the pheromone mother cats give off while nursing kittens.
Training and Playtime
Playing with your cat or training them to do certain tasks has been shown to do wonders for their anxiety! Positive interaction with their owners, especially at a young age, can have a very positive effect on growing kittens and help them feel more secure. Scratching posts, feathers, laser pointers are just some of the different cat toys you can try experimenting with to find one that works best for the both of you!
If you notice your kitty only ever seems to get anxious when it to comes time to visit the vet, there are some ways you can help beforehand, so when it comes the time, it will be an easier experience for both of you. You can introduce your cat to their crate by having it out in a place where they can smell and get a feel for it, so it won’t be such a struggle to get them in and out! Another option is taking your cat for car rides or walks if you are both comfortable enough. It gets them introduced to the “outside world,” so it doesn’t seem as big and scary for when they do have to come and visit the vet!
Written by: Bailie Henderson, CCR
