How To Help Your Cat With Anxiety

How to help your cat with anxiety? It’s a question a lot of cat parents ask – myself included. If I’m gone for more than 6 days one of my cats gets a urinary blockage. Here are some ways you can help with anxious pets.

1. Distractions, distractions, distractions

When does your cat seem to be the most anxious? Is it right after you leave? Or when they wake up from a nap and nobody is there? Sometimes having a distraction is the best thing for them. We have a whole blog on interactive puzzle games. These toys can provide just enough distraction to get you out of the house or keep your cat distracted from their anxiety.

2. Add more litter boxes

They say you should have 1.5 litter boxes per cat. Since you can’t have half of a litter box you should have two if you have one cat, three if you have two cats, five if you have four cats, and so on. Count how many litter boxes you have and if you’re cleaning them often enough. Any litter box will do! Some cat owners want to have one or two really nice ones and then an extra, cheaper one. If cleaning the litter box is the issue, we have some products we recommend to help make the chore a little less worse.

3. ThunderShirt

You may have heard of ThunderShirt before. It essentially works the same way swaddling a baby calms them down. The biggest downside to ThunderShirt is it needs to be on your cat prior to the stressful situation so it won’t be as effective if their anxiety is unplanned. These work best for events like Fourth of July or New Years when you know stressors such as fireworks will be happening.

ThunderShirt for Cats @ $39.95

4. Pheromones

Pheromones are much different from essential oils. Essential oils can actually be toxic to pets, but pheromones (produced synthetically) can help provide an anxious pet relief. Adaptil is the dog version and Feliway is the cat version. The dog version will not work for cats and vice versa.

The classic diffuser is great for open floor plans or large rooms as they cover 750sqft. If you have a large house or many closed off rooms, you may need to invest in multiple diffusers. You can learn more about the Feliway Classic Home Diffuser on their website. They also produce a collar and travel sprays for pets on the go or when a diffuser isn’t a viable option.

SENTRY PET CARE Calming Collar for Cats on Amazon @ $19.99

5. Calming Sprays

Calming sprays can also be a good option if your cat likes to hang out in one specific area. These don’t require being changed out monthly, only when they’re empty, nor putting a collar onto your pet.

Feliway Cat Calming Pheromone Spray @ $20.59

6. Calming Chews

Calming chews can be bought over-the-counter at most pet stores. These chews aren’t as strong as something you’d get from the vet but provide a natural way to help calm your cat. Depending on which one you choose they may be hard or soft treats. Some brands also include hemp seed oil.

Quiet Moments® Cat Soft Chew on Amazon @ $9.99

7. CBD Oil

Cat owners have found varying success with CBD Oil helping their pet with anxiety and you may as well if you’re looking for a more holistic and natural approach to managing your pets anxiety. Before starting CBD Oil make sure to talk with your vet, especially if your pet is on any medication, to make sure it’s safe to give them. There’s lots of different brands out there and methods of delivery, you’re sure to find one that fits you and your cats needs. Some brands to start your research are:

8. Consider talking with your vet

Just like with people, some cats need anxiety medication to help manage their anxiety. Pets can’t articulate how they’re feeling but if you’ve tried all of the above ways it may be time to have a discussion with your vet. Make sure you discuss you and your pets needs. Do they need a slight sedative or something stronger? Is there a liquid option if your cat doesn’t take pills? Don’t have a regular vet? We have you covered. Here’s our 5 tips for picking a veterinarian you love.

Do you have an anxious cat? Let us know how you help control their anxiety and if there’s anything we forgot @WetNosesPetSitting or #WetNosesPetSitting