Animal anxiety as real as human anxiety

By Dr. Beth Leermakers

Like dogs and people, cats can suffer from anxiety. Anxiety is the anticipation of future dangers from unknown or imagined origins that result in normal physiologic reactions associated with fear. Unlike fear that tends to be situational and acute, anxiety is a chronic condition. Feline anxiety can be caused by pain or illness, a traumatic experience or a history of abuse or neglect. Cat anxiety often stems from a change in your cat’s environment. Anything new — moving, remodeling or even just rearranging the furniture, adding a new cat, dog or person to the family — can be stressful for cats. 

How can you tell your cat is anxious? Anxious cats tend to hide, urinate outside of the litter box, scratch the carpet or furniture more frequently and vocalize excessively. They may also stop eating, groom themselves excessively and/or engage in aggressive or destructive behaviors.  

Several over-the-counter products may help your anxious feline:

Thundershirt for cats. This garment is a compression vest that applies a gentle, constant pressure, like an infant swaddling blanket. Although there’s no evidence that thundershirts work for cats, they’ve been shown to help reduce anxiety in dogs. If putting this feline strait jacket on your cat is likely to stress her out and leave you scratched up, keep reading.  

Cat calming collars. These collars are infused with pheromones that mimic those produced by mother cats to soothe kittens. The pheromones also have a calming effect on adult cats. Cat calming collars work for some but not all cats. If your cat has never worn a collar, introduce him to the collar before you fasten it around his neck. Let him sniff the collar and then give him a treat.  

Cat calming pheromone diffusers. If your cat won’t tolerate a collar, try a diffuser that releases a synthetic version of feline facial pheromones. Cats produce a specific pheromone when they feel comfortable in their surroundings and release it via facial rubbing, telling other cats that everything is copacetic. Diffusers specifically made to promote harmony among cats in multiple-cat households use pheromones produced by mother cats while nursing their kittens.

Calming cat food and treats. Anti-anxiety cat food often contains tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey (and other protein) that causes sleepiness. Anti-anxiety diets are also formulated to soothe upset stomachs, which can be a source of feline stress. Calming cat treats often contain alpha-casozepine, an ingredient that has been shown to reduce stress in cats and dogs. Calming cat treats may also contain L-theanine, an ingredient in green tea that naturally reduces anxiety.

Do NOT give your cat human anxiety medications. Benzodiazepines (such as Xanax or Klonopin) are toxic to cats and can cause liver failure. Sleeping pills such as Ambien are also dangerous for cats. 

Providing more mental stimulation and/or a calming environment can also help:

Training and Playtime. Positive interactions with your cat help her feel secure, thereby reducing anxiety. Usually associated with dog training, clicker training can also work for cats.  

Provide a soothing environment. Because cats often feel comfortable when they’re up high, a cat tree, perch or elevated bed can be a cozy retreat for your anxious cat.  Put kitty’s food and litter box in the room where she feels most comfortable. 

Cats comfort themselves by leaving their scent, so let your cat leave his scent on a scratching post in a room where he feels safe. In stressful times, he’ll find solace there. Playing music or white noise may help calm a cat who’s stressed out by construction noise or a crying baby. 

If your cat doesn’t respond to any of these approaches, and she’s over-grooming herself, chewing her nails, or otherwise injuring herself, it’s time to visit your veterinarian. Your vet will check your cat for medical conditions that may be causing or exacerbating her anxiety. Your vet may prescribe medication to reduce her anxiety.