How to help a cat suffering from separation anxiety?

How to help a cat suffering from separation anxiety?

Not only our children feel post-holiday sadness. Did you know that pets are also at risk of worsening when the school year starts? Any major change in the daily routine can induce separation anxiety in animals. It is estimated that this problem affects even every fifth pet (eg.about 20% of the 80 million dogs in the United States). Among older dogs, it can appear even in half of the animals.

How to recognize separation anxiety?

Look for changes in behavior in three key areas:

• The first of these is misconduct at home
• The second will be excessive vocalization (meowing in cats or barking in dogs)
• The third, the destruction of objects or increased chewing of inedible things, e.g. foil bags, sweaters etc
  …

How To Relieve Separation Anxiety In My Pet?

1. Make a plan for the day

Once the regular order of day dictated by school or work begins, try to establish a daily schedule. If you leave the house and come back to it at the same time every day, it will help your pet re-enter the home routine.

2. Schedule time to play

Make time for everyday fun and tenderness for your pet. Then it is also worth introducing elements of science. Reward your pet for desirable behaviors and discourage those you do not want to perpetuate. Use treats for this purpose and praise him. Play with the cat with a fishing rod, or with the mouse on a string, occasionally throwing him cat-sweets. You can also encourage him to roll his prey out of a Gourmand Ball. Try to spend at least 15-20 minutes a day interacting with both the dog and the cat.

3. Turn up the music

If the audio receivers (TV or radio) are turned on during your presence at home, try to provide the pet with the same during your absence (leave the radio with classical music turned on).

4. Engage your cat with interactive toys

A good way to reduce your anxiety during the day is to provide your pets with toys,
in which you can hide treats. Fill them with half of the planned amount of food in the morning
and in the evening. In this way, you will provide your pet with a lot of fun and activity during the day.

5. Try hide and seek

Another way is to divide the meal into several bowls and bury them in different places around the house. This form of play hide and seek with food will be useful especially for cats, which will help them develop hunting skills and fill most of the day. However, try to remember that the places where the food is hidden are safe to reach them. And remember for yourself that you should clean them up later so that the leftovers do not spoil.

6. What if you have to leave suddenly?

If you do not have time to prepare adequate entertainment for your pet before going out
from home, try to leave your pet a treat, which he will have to deal with for a long time.

7. Move

Exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety when you make changes to your daily routine. Take your dog for an hour's walk or engage your cat in interactive play to ensure your pet has optimal daily exercise.