Load up a Lickimat: Keep things interesting by trying something different spread on the Lickimat, such as squashed banana or chopped vegetables & greek yoghurt, dog friendly peanut butter or squeezy cheese. We were then able to desensitise him to grooming by using a baby brush, with some high value food and regular, short sessions as his hair grew back. You may find that desensitizing your cat by slowly and carefully exposing them to things they fear can be beneficial. If you can, freeze the Kong with the tasty treat inside as this will keep your dog entertained for longer. Also, chewing and licking are both self-soothing for dogs and if they are worried at first, this can help sooth them. Daniel (Cats Protection): Make everything you do predictable, cats thrive on routine. Charlotte (Ceva) : Have you got an example of a positive homing story? We use pheromone products to help reduce stress and look at making the environment feel safe, so providing plenty of hiding areas on different levels for them where they can retreat to if they feel anxious. If this has begun all of a sudden try and work out if something has changed suddenly in their environment e.g. This makes it a great way to release stress. If your cat has separation anxiety, reward it when it’s showing independent behavior, like lying quietly on a perch or entertaining itself with its toys. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to the WebMD, Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts, Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter, Cat Communication: What Your Cat's Body Language Says. If your cat has anxiety, you may notice pacing or restlessness, hiding, decreased appetite, vocalization, hypervigilance, trembling, salivation, and excessive grooming. Changing foods. You can also try FELISCRATCH by Feliway, this contains a pheromone which encourages a cat to scratch in your desired location e.g. Wait until they’re quiet and then go in and give them praise for being calm with your tone of voice and a gentle stroke. 2. You may have to try several diets before you find one that works. Self-soothing tactics. If you are staying home with your dog, share your stories on facebook with the #adaptilathome with us ! Physical signs of cat anxiety include: Trembling or shaking Rapid breathing Licking their nose frequently Excessive vocalisation such as growling, hissing or yowling Dilated pupils Crouching down frequently Ears flat against their head Rapid breathing Lethargy and sleeping more than usual Eating non-food items - such as plastic or wool Over grooming, creating bald patches or sores on their coat Diarrhoea and vomiting Significant change in their weight (loss or gain) Behavioural signs of cat anxiety include: Urinating outside the litter tray Urine spraying around the house Excessive scratching of furniture Aggressive behaviour towards you or other pets Constant meowing Pacing around the house, often accompanied by meowing Easily spooked by noises or movement If you are concerned about your cat, always check with your vet to rule out any illness that your feline friend may have contracted. Make sure that you leave your kitty with plenty of toys to hold their attention - food puzzles with high-value treats inside are a great way to keep your cat occupied for hours as well as helping them to exercise. If your kitty is acting a bit out of sorts and there’s a change in their appetite (gain or loss), illness or throwing up, scratching or excessive self-grooming, this is likely a sign that your kitty is stressed. Cats are very scent orientated (humans are very sight orientated). Because it can be difficult to diagnose flea infestation in cats, some veterinarians recommend trying reliable flea control products purchased from a veterinary office for six to eight weeks to see if it reduces the incidence of licking, scratching, or chewing. The importance of making a cat’s environment and routine as predictable as possible to reduce anxiety or fear is really essential to cover during Pet Anxiety Month. Activity. CHEW OR PUZZLE TOYS These are a brilliant way to entertain your dog. Be careful to take baby steps if you try this so as not to overwhelm your cat and make the compulsive licking, scratching or biting worse. Is there another cat on the block? If there isn’t anything medical, the cat could be acting out of character due to change in the environment. Combat this by trimming overgrown hair around a cat’s ears. If the symptoms aren’t too severe, most vets will start working with you on modifying behavior. We had a small team of people spending time with her, without putting pressure on to touch her, we just sat quietly and chatted to her and left tasty treats, so her days became more predictable and therefore less scary. Give your cat more scratching posts. Cat anxiety frequently causes the development of destructive behaviours that your cat may not have exhibited before: this can include furniture scratching and clawing at curtains. Then, once you are sure that your pet has no physical condition, you can delve deeper into the cause of their anxiety. Reassure your dog! This resource is essential as all cats need to scratch! Stay safe! Alternately, your cat might also appreciate a simple cardboard box to climb into, somewhere away from all the hubbub. LOAD UP A LICKIMAT Keep things interesting by trying something different spread on the Lickimat, such as squashed banana or chopped vegetables & greek yoghurt, dog friendly peanut butter or squeezy cheese. Sometimes cats who have plenty of scratching poles and other "legitimate" scratching surfaces, still will insist on inappropriate scratching on carpeting or furniture. by Tasha Cole, Blue Cross Animal Behaviour Coordinator and Ryan Neile, Blue Cross Head of Behaviour Service Operations, by Daniel Cummings, Behaviour Manager at Cats Protection and Charlotte Carr, Technical Behaviour Manager at Ceva Animal Health Ltd, © All rights reserved 2021 Ceva Animal Health Ltd. Signs of anxiety in cats to watch for – is your pet concerned? Shifting body or head away During consultation get the cat on the vet table only if you need to, and be as efficient as possible (have a need to do - nice to do list). We have put together our essential list of tips to follow to help your dog cope with staying home alone. Use an ADAPTIL Calm Diffuser in the area your dog spends the most time to provide your dog with comforting pheromones that are scientifically proven to naturally reassure dogs, just like mothers reassure their puppies and help reduce their worries and help dogs through learning to be alone and to perceive changes or potential fears in a calmer way. 2. If scratching is widespread in your house or your cat is particularly destructive, this may be an indicator that this may be due to stress. Clean all marks made by your cat scratching with warm water and soap. Tasha (Blue Cross): It’s really important for us to help make people aware, how animals show they are stressed or anxious so they can help better support their pets. A FELIWAY Optimum Diffuser is an excellent way to help comfort cats at home. Follow all our tips by subscribing to our newsletter #adaptilathome Stay safe! If you’re using this before a vacation, use it one week before your holiday to provide a calm environment for your departure and during your leave. When a cat’s attachment to its owner becomes dysfunctional, separation anxiety can become severe. Charlotte (Ceva): What would you suggest to an owner to avoid cat anxiety? It took several weeks but this helped her to trust us and eventually she became confident enough to come out to eat the treats and then she started interacting with us through play. Dry skin. Ceva Animal Health Ltd donate ADAPTIL® Calm on-the-go Collars to Blue Cross Rehoming Centres, helping to provide pheromone support for dogs in kennels. 5. Tasha (Blue Cross): We look at the individual animal needs and try to provide the best environment for them. - Sturdy - it should not wobble when used, - Tall enough - it should allow your cat to fully stretch when scratching, - Always available and accessible to them, - Not in a loud or scary area that is sometimes closed off, - Near where your cat sleeps – as they like to scratch when they wake up, - Enough for all your cats - Ideally have at least one scratching post per cat. If your cat is an outdoor cat, there may be a new feline intruder on their patch which is making them nervous. My cat has scratched at his ear, at his cheek and under his chin to the point of causing bleeding. Many times, boredom licking (also known as psychogenic alopecia) is improved by adding another cat or pet. American Animal Hospital Association Web site, Healthypet.com: “Skin problems in pets.”, American Animal Hospital Association Web site, Healthypet.com: “Dry skin.”, ASPCA Web site: “Compulsive behavior in cats.”, ASPCA Web site: “Desensitization and counterconditioning.”, The Merck Veterinary Manual: “Other Feline Behavioral Problems.”, Veterinary Information Network, Veterinarypartner.com: “Fur mowing (feline).”, Feline Advisory Bureau Web site, Fabcats.org: “Cats and stress.”. To Destress There are a lot of reasons why your cat could be feeling stressed, and scratching is one way for them to cope. It’s understandable that your dog may cry sometimes when you leave - they like being around you! Urinating or defecating on your bed, clothes, or other belongings when you are gone 4. Learn to understand your dog’s reactions. For cats this may mean using a quieter environment or area away from other cats. Cats experience anxiety, too, and if you know your cat’s personality well enough, you will be able to easily spot signs of stress. Cats enjoy a high vantage point, so consider adding perches, cat trees, and cat-friendly shelving to give them the best environment. So ask yourself the following questions and maybe you can put your finger on it. That is why it is highly recommended to have a designated scratching area, such as a scratching post or cat tree, for your cat. Leave them with tasty treats Fill (and freeze) a Kong: You can fill a Kong full of something super tasty (e.g. Cats sometimes use inappropriate scratching as communication. Scratching releases endorphins for cats. Examples of these are buffalo horns, antlers, yak chews, coffeewood chews /anco roots. Scratching allows cats to keep their claws shorter, mark their territory, show their happiness or dominance, and stretch. Dogs need to stay active as they enjoy sniffing, hunting around and meeting doggy friends. What's more, "boredom can result in anxiety for a cat that needs attention, and taking out their frustrations on your belongings is one way they can express their discontent to you." A bored dog may become anxious, it’s best to build up self-confidence with being alone now whilst you are home as you can build the time alone and away from you gradually. then when you join the call your dog is suitably tired and will hopefully sleep through. It's frustrating to the indoor cat to see, smell, or sense an intruder outside without the ability to get to him. All of these should be kept in different locations and there should be at least one resource per cat in your home. The cat may keep scratching, never managing to relieve the tickling sensation. Veterinarians may also prescribe the addition of certain fatty acids or other nutritional supplements if dry skin is to blame for your cat’s incessant scratching and licking. 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