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Help your nervous or scared cat be happy
again.
If you think you have a scared cat, depressed or nervous
cat then you could be right and they might be suffering from stress
and cat anxiety.
As humans, most of us are aware of how stress and anxiety
can impact on our lives and physical health. But do we realise that
the same is true for our pets, and that they can suffer from cat stress
causing them to be very nervous or scared cats? Cats love routine, familiarity
and the feeling of security, so when they perceive that things are not
how they usually are then they can feel stressed, anxious or even depressed,
just like we can. And if the cause of their stress is not recognised
and improved, then their condition can continue to get worse, with possible
implications for their physical health as well as making them simply
very unhappy. Fears and anxieties can develop into phobias and nervous
behaviour becomes excessive and irrational resulting in a scared cat.
Know the signs of cat stress and a scared
cat.
Recognising the signs of cat stress or anxiety, and knowing what makes
a scared or cat, can help us to get to the root of the problem. That way
we can help our beloved pet return to being a healthy and happy cat.
Common signs and changes in behaviour that indicate cat
stress can include:
- Dilated pupils.
- Urinating and defecating in inappropriate places.
- Spraying (territorial marking) even when neutered.
- Aggressive behaviour.
- Pacing and restless behaviour.
- Depression, lethargy and avoiding company.
- Hiding.
- Trying to escape.
- Loss of appetite.
- Excessive grooming or not grooming at all.
- Increased meowing.
- Destructive behaviour.
- Trembling and shaking.
Cats can also purr when stressed or in pain which surprises a lot of people, but it is believed that this is a mechanism that cats will use to try to comfort themselves.
Check with the vet!
If your cat displays such behaviour for a short time but then returns to normal,
then there is probably nothing to worry about. But if the behaviour returns
or becomes persistent, then always get your cat checked out by the vet.
This is because it is important to be able to rule out any underlying
medical conditions that may be causing the problem. You can then concentrate
on identifying other possible causes for your cats behaviour. Once identified,
you can then set about alleviating the problem for good. 
Possible causes of stress resulting in a scared
cat.
Environmental Causes:
- Loud noises from fireworks, building works, families rowing, thunderstorms.
- Changes of environment such as moving home or having the house decorated.
- Changes of routine such as changing your job and coming home at a different time of day or going away on holiday.
- A new baby or a new pet coming into the home can create feeling of jealousy or rejection.
- Having too many pets in a small space, or your cat being confined for long periods or having insufficient fresh air.
- A new cat in the area can threaten your cats territorial instincts especially if it's a younger and stronger cat.
Emotional causes:
- Boredom and loneliness.
- Separation anxiety.
- Death of a family member or other pet.
- Fear of aggression or shouting from a pet owner.
- Remembered behaviour. For instance, if your cat came from a rescue home, then it may have had previous bad experiences that still affect it.
Physical causes:
- Obesity or malnourishment.
- Illness.
- Injury.
- Infestation of fleas, worms or other parasites.
- Allergies.
There can be many other causes, but this should be a long enough list to get you
thinking of what might be creating your cats stress or anxiety, and making
yours a very nervous, depressed or scared cat.
Treating cat anxiety and stress to help
a nervous or scared cat.
Always follow the advice of your vet, or you could consult a specialist
in cat behavior problems. But common sense can point the way to a lot
of solutions once the cause of the problem has been identified. For instance,
if your cat is scared of loud noises then obviously it makes sense to
keep it indoors on stormy days or when fireworks are going off. Keep the
cat in the quietest room in the house with toys and food available and
the curtains closed. Allow a place for your cat to retreat to, like a
space under the bed or a covered cat bed. Some owners find that having
music playing or the television on, or 'white noise' like a fan operating
or the washing machine going, all help to cut out the frightening noises
and help the cat feel that everything is normal.
How your own behaviour can affect your
cat.
As cat owners we must be aware of how our own behaviour might affect our pets as well. Every cat owner knows just how much they can be sensitive to our own moods. They can often tell if we are sad, depressed, unwell or angry. If you are afraid during a thunderstorm or when fireworks are going off outside, your cat will pick up on the feelings of fear you are giving off. So try to act confident and as if everything is normal.
Another thing to bear in mind is how we react to our scared cat behaviour. It is very hard to resist petting and comforting our cat if it appears to be in distress in any way, but it is possible that by doing so, we are in fact reinforcing the nervous cats behaviour and making them feel that there really must be something to be scared of. By stroking and comforting the cat we can also be 'rewarding' it so they learn to repeat the behaviour.
In extreme cases medication may be necessary and your vet is best placed to advice
about this.
Alternative therapies such as homeopathy and plant essences can
be tried, and special cat behavior training techniques can be used,
but these need to be taught by a specialist.
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