Separation Anxiety in Cats

Separation anxiety, which can occur in any species, certainly happens to pets, even cats. Cats with separation anxiety most likely have to little confidence and too much dependence on their human owners. So does this sound like your cat? How would you know if your cat has separation anxiety?

Look for the signs of separation anxiety which would include a cat that follows their person all the time or that appears overly attached to their owner. The cat may also show some distress when it figures out that the owner is about to leave by sulking, hiding, meowing more than usual or even appearing to become depressed. There may be some meowing, moaning or crying after the owner has left the cat and the cat may refuse to eat. Cats suffering from separation anxiety may also urinate or defecate in places where they are not supposed to such as close to the door where their owner walked out or on the owners things. The cat may also vomit, excessively groom itself or even become destructive.

How would you treat a cat suffering from separation anxiety? The most positive treatment for separation anxiety is to give the cat something to do so that it does not have time to miss its owner. This could be as easy as positioning a place for the cat to sit so they can see the world outside. A bird feeder could be placed close to the window the cat looks out. Toys with catnip placed in them can also be used to keep the cat busy or use a food puzzle. The owner can also try leaving the radio or tv on for the cat.

If none of the mentioned treatments seem to work on your cat, you may need to make a trip to your vet. The vet may have better advice and treatments for your situation. The vet may prescribe clomicalm, prozac or buspar which are not licensed specifically for cats but are on the "extra label" and are often prescribed by vets for cats with separation anxiety.

Cats can suffer from separation anxiety and some do. Their owner should be aware of this and can do several things to make their time apart from their owner more bearable and less stressful. Making arrangements for the cat before leaving it alone can often times alleviate the situation and make the time separated better for the cat.