Early detection of your cat’s anxiety is essential to prevent it from developing into a chronic condition. It can be challenging to recognise when your cat is experiencing anxiety, but you need to spend time with them to help them deal with their anxiety and panic attacks.
Well, there are a variety of psychological conditions, past traumatic events, and other factors that can contribute to a cat’s anxiety and panic attacks. Each cat is unique, so it is pointless to blindly follow advice from a single website on the subject of anxiety.
Instead, you should identify the factors that contribute to your cat’s mental health because only then will you be able to control their behaviour.
We have some symptoms listed below that will help you identify the treatment that would be best for your cat’s mental health to assist you in determining what would be the most appropriate course of action.
Symptoms Of Anxiety In Cats
There are a variety of symptoms that could cause anxiety in cats, and these symptoms are not constant and alter over time.
- Trembling
- Poor appetite
- Insomnia
- Laziness
- Continuously Yawing
- Aggression
- Restlessness
- Excessive meowing
- Hiding
- Scratching
- Overeating
These are some of the typical signs of anxiety disorders in cats. Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent the disorder from developing into a chronic or lifelong condition for your cat.
Causes Of Anxiety
There are a variety of causes of anxiety that affect your cat’s mental health, including:
- Pain or Illness
Fears, phobias, and anxieties are behavioural issues that can be brought on by ageing-related changes in the nervous system, infectious diseases, and toxic conditions (like lead poisoning). Any disease or excruciating physical condition can exacerbate preexisting anxieties in your cat or cause them to grow.
- Past Traumas
It’s important to keep in mind that an experience that didn’t seem traumatic to you may have seemed extremely traumatic to your cat; it doesn’t matter whether you think it was or not. Traumatic experiences frequently produce fear.
- Infectious Disease
In 10–20 per cent of cases referred to veterinary behaviourists, separation anxiety is a common specific phobia in companion animals. If a cat experiences excessive anxiety or distress when left alone, they are said to have separation anxiety.
- Separation
Excessive attachment can lead to the unpleasant condition of separation anxiety. According to research, cats can also experience separation anxiety syndrome and manifest many of the same symptoms as dogs.
- Improper socialisation
Cats may develop a habit of being fearful or anxious if they aren’t exposed to positive social and environmental experiences during the socialisation period. When your cat is unable to flee or avoid a stimulus, such as being confined during fireworks or sharing a home with a frightening pet, cat anxiety and phobias can develop.
- Unhealthy Routine
Maintaining a consistent routine for both you and your cats is the best way to keep them content and healthy. If changes must be made, try to implement them gradually. For example, a vacation or house guest may not seem like a big deal to you, but to your cat, they may be.