How to Build Confidence in Your Anxious Cat

All cats experience stress or anxiety at one time or another. Think: thunderstorms, trips to the vet’s office, electricians tromping through the house, and so on. These are normal causes of stress, and a confident cat can usually move through them with minimal disruption. Perhaps your cat hides under the bed until the electrician leaves, then returns to life as normal.

For other cats, cats who are prone to higher levels of anxiety, it’s harder to recover from those daily stressors. Over time, those anxious moments can turn into chronic anxiety. Chronic anxiety is detrimental to your cat’s health, her happiness, and her overall well-being. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the signs of anxiety, potential causes, and how to build confidence in an anxious cat.

Recognizing Anxiety in Cats

Observe your cat’s body language to watch for signs of stress. Of course, this can be tricky because one of the most common signs of stress is hiding. So, if you notice your cat is hiding more frequently than usual, that’s one clue. Other signs to watch for include litter box accidents in a previously box-trained cat; gastrointestinal issues like constipation, diarrhea, or vomiting; and other changes in routine behaviors like eating or sleeping. There are behaviors that indicate stress, fear, and anxiety in cats, too. Look for excessive grooming, even to the extent that your cat creates bald spots or sores on herself. Scratching or spraying in new or different areas and excessive vocalization are signs of stress, too.

These are broad examples of the types of stress you can see in your cat. If your cat experiences a shift in her regular routines and behaviors, or if she’s more withdrawn or lethargic, it’s time to talk with your vet.

Causes of Stress and Anxiety

Understanding the cause of your cat’s anxiety can help you take the right steps to address and manage it. Some cats might experience stress for an obvious, acute reason, like a car ride to the vet’s office. In those cases, it’s easy to identify the cause and work on a management strategy. For others who seem constantly stressed, you might be wondering: Why is my cat scared of everything?

Cats experience stress and anxiety for a variety of reasons, though your cat’s individual personality impacts how resilient–or not–she is to those stressors. Some cats might be genetically prone to more anxiety, while others are anxious from life experiences. For all cats, situations that can lead to stress and anxiety include changes in the home, like a move to a new home, a marriage or divorce, a new baby, the death of or an addition of another pet, or even a change in the household routine that can come with a job change or the start of the school year. Stressors might also include rearranging the furniture in the living room or changing the type of cat food or litter you buy. Other times, medical conditions and pain can cause a cat to experience stress and anxiety.

The Profound Benefits of a Confident Cat

A scared cat moves through life on edge. She can never settle, and she never feels safe. Constant, persistent anxiety in a cat affects her overall health and wellness, just like it does in humans. Additionally, carrying the burden of constant stress lowers your cat’s quality of life and can have a detrimental impact on your bond.

There are profound benefits to helping your cat be more confident. Your cat will have a stronger immune system. She’ll be less likely to experience urinary infections and gastrointestinal upset. Her blood pressure and heart rate will be more balanced. All of these physical impacts mean your cat is healthier, which helps her live a longer, happier life. If your cat feels safe and secure at home, and if you provide comfort and security to your cat, she will feel more comfortable not just at home but also in other settings, like the vet’s office.

Strategies to Build Confidence in an Anxious Cat

So, you’ve identified the signs of stress in your cat, and you understand the benefits of helping her feel more confident. The next obvious question is how to help a scared cat feel more confident.

First, focus on safety. If your cat feels unsafe, she’ll always be stuck in fight-or-flight mode and won’t have the space to develop confidence. To help your cat feel safe, establish predictable routines for your household as much as possible. Find a food and a litter she likes, and stick to them. Create a safe space where she can retreat if it all becomes too much or if an acute fear–like a thunderstorm–crops up that you can’t control.

Second, be a calm and secure presence. Despite misinformation all over the internet, it is actually okay to comfort a scared cat. In fact, we encourage it. Be your cat’s support person. And never, ever play a social media-inspired prank (cucumbers, anyone?) on your cat. The likes and shares are never worth the hit your relationship will take.

Finally, work on a training plan that includes a balance of counterconditioning to her fears along with skill-building exercises that develop confidence. Plus, training can be filled with fun games that you and your cat play together, strengthening your bond and her faith in you.

If your cat has experienced an acute trauma and doesn’t seem to be returning to her normal self after implementing these steps, or if none of these action items are helping to alleviate your cat’s general stress, check with your vet to see if a prescription anxiety medication is right for your situation.

Watching your cat experience stress and anxiety can also be stress-inducing for you. Be sure you’re monitoring yourself for signs of increased anxiety as you work through your cat’s struggles. Remember, you are her safety net, so make sure your stress is well-managed so that you can best help her. As you work to build confidence in your anxious cat, observe your cat’s signs of stress and take note of any obvious stressors. Work on a plan to mitigate them together, while building your bond. Helping your cat move through anxiety and into confidence will help her live a longer, healthier, happier life–the ultimate reward!

If you’re concerned about your cat’s anxiety or would like further guidance on how to make your cat feel safe, contact your AAHA-accredited veterinarian. They can offer personalized advice and recommendations tailored to her needs.