Cats may be affected by emotional, environmental and physical stresses. Feline anxiety is common when your cat's living situation changes in some way, and cat stress may result in aggression, fear and a variety of other physical manifestations.
Cats Can Get Anxious from Small Environmental Changes
Your cat may become anxious if you introduce a new cat or human to his home, or if the existing family changes in some other way. However, some cats display anxious behaviors in response to more subtle changes. If you change your cat's meal times, move a piece of furniture or open up a new room in a house for him to explore, your cat may perceive these as a stress and respond negatively. Some cats become stressed even when the curtains are open and they can see outside, or if you attempt a new training program.
Because of the wide variety of potential contributors to feline stress, it is important that you pay careful attention to your cat's behavior. If your pet exhibits unexplained feline aggressive behavior, consider which elements of his living situation may have changed recently. Even marginal changes may contribute to your cat's anxiety, so make a comprehensive list. The easiest way to resolve feline stress may be to address the stressful elements in his life. By creating a list of stresses and experimenting with addressing them individually, you may be able to determine what is causing your cat to be anxious and address his anxiety without medication.
In some cases, you may not have control over the stressful situation, or your cat may not respond to your efforts. In this situation, a feline anxiety medicine may be helpful. Typically, a veterinarian will not prescribe a medication until you have attempted to reduce your cat's environmental and physical stress.
Feline Anxiety Medications
Feline anxiety medications are powerful drugs that are designed to be taken regularly, not as needed in stressful situations. Generally, drugs that address cat anxiety are either psychotropic or pheromone-based. These drugs stimulate the production of serotonin in your cat's brain, which is associated with calm and tranquil situations. Feline anxiety medications tend to work quickly and effectively to reduce common symptoms of cat anxiety, but they may alter your pet's personality and energy levels.
There are also a variety of natural supplements and remedies designed to calm anxious cats. Overall, these medicines tend to be less effective than prescription drugs, but they are cheaper and have fewer side effects. These drugs tend to operate differently with individual cats, so it is best to consult your veterinarian for advice as to which natural remedy is right for your pet. Some experimentation may be necessary.
Medications to treat feline anxiety are highly effective, but may cause detrimental effects to your cat's disposition and personality. As such, it is best to try to provide a calming and tranquil environment for your cat before attempting a drug regimen for feline anxiety. Your veterinarian can help you to determine which treatment procedure will be best for you and your cat.