My cat has severe anxiety issues when I leave the house.?

Question

Is there anyway that I can make her feel more comfortable when I leave?

Answer 1

here's an article called "conquering your cat's loneliness" hopefully it will be able to help!

Answer 2

Get a bottle of Rescue Remedy from a health foods store. People use it and you can usually find it. A small bottle is about $18. You shake the bottle really well and apply three to four drops to your cat's fur between the ears. Treat your cat for about a week to ten days.

RR is always good to have in the house in any emergency. If the RR doesn't seem to be getting at the root of the problem see if you can get Mimulus which is more fear specific.

These essences are for emotional healing and can do no harm to your cat (or you). They are not drugs and the changes may be subtle.

Addendum: I would go to www.littlebigcat.com. Click on spirit essences and get a bottle of Stress Stopper. Dr. Hovfe is a veterinarian who has made up her own mixtures. I would be willing to bet she's got the Mimulus in her SS. A bottle is $16.95 and there are no charges for shipping and handling. Dr. Hovfe is in Colorado so it might take a week for it to arrive.

Answer 3

Mabe getting a kitten or an adult cat that is used to other cats, cat would help, on the long run tough. At the beginning, your cat might not like it, but he will get used to his/her companionship.
You can also leave the radio on, on a station that plays soft or classical music, not to loud tough, cats hate loud noises. My cats love classical music. You can leave a light on also if you come in after dark.
Get her some fun and safe cat toys, put a bit of catnip on them beefore you leave.
Give your cat plenty of quality time when you are at home. Have her on your lap and pet her for at least 10 minutes a day.
Play with her so she can get a work-out and be more relaxed later.
Always make sure she has good food and plenty of fresh water when you leave.
Reassure her when you leave and greet her when you come home.
You should give it a tought about getting another cat, that could really help on the long run.

Answer 4

Is she alone in the house for most of the day? She could be lonely and missing you. Another cat would be great company for her. You could also try leaving the tv or radio on, buy some stimulating toys, leave the blinds open so she can look outside, and don't forget to give her lots of love and attention when you are home.

Answer 5

I would assume the foster home had other dogs in which she probably followed out and followed back in. Therefore the problem never presented itself. There are lots of ways of working with a 4yr old dog with poor housebreaking habits. Since you are renting and you dont need the liability of damage to someone elses property, doggy diapers would perhaps be an ok crutch to use during the training process. But I would not rely on them and it should be your goal to "keep her dry". I would attempt crate training, keep her on a leash attached to you, scheduled FREQUENT potty breaks and feedings, and utilize baby gates to keep her off of carpeting. The supposed anxiety issues concerns me. I would go a bit deeper into this. Are you certain she is simply not a spoiled or insecure dog? Separation anxiety oftentimes manifest itself in more than simply vocalization and detest to be separated. Oftentimes the dog is neurotic and destroys things in very short order of being alone. I'm talking shredding couches, chewing on doors and window sills and the list goes on. Usually this is characterized by lots of damage done in a brief period of time and almost immediately after you leave. I would start by correcting the whining and howling rather than labeling her, totally readjusting your life, and baby her because of it.

Answer 6

Some people give their pet a treat (or feed them) just before they leave the house. Other people get them a friend. That is, they decide to have two pets so that each is company to the other. I'd opt for the friend rather than the treat.

Answer 7

I've heard of these really cool Cd's that u can play for a pet when they are nearvous. they have them at K-Mart and Wally World. Also u can make a bed of ur old shirts and surround it with her toys. make sure that (it sounds stupid but works) when u come home that you tell her that you'll always come back home!!!

Answer 8

the best toy for your cat is another cat . it may take awhile for the two to adjust but I'm sure it would appreciate the company

Answer 9

keep classicial music on 24 7 cats love music!

Answer 10

try leaving a tv or radio on when you go out or maybe try recording yourself on dvd or video tape and play it on the tv in a continuos loop and see what happens maybe also you could try getting him a mate