Anti Anxiety Medication for Cats

Cats too suffer from bouts of anxiety and there are a number of anti-anxiety medications for cats available. This article will cover some anxiety behaviors in cats and anti anxiety medication for cats.

Peppers, my one year old cat, kept urinating all over the house, on the carpets, freshly laundered clothes or right outside the litter box. I was very irritated initially, but then felt there is more to his unruly behavior than what I can perceive. I spoke to the vet and did some research on this strange behavior in my cat. I found that cats too suffer from anxiety and cat owners need to take note of this illness and treat their cats immediately. I have written this article on 'anti anxiety medication for cats' as a cat owner for all cat owners going facing similar cat problems.

Cats are similar to humans when it comes to anxious behavior. Some may be outgoing and friendly with any new face they meet or they may be scared when they are in a crowd of new faces. They get panic attacks and develop some kind of strange cat behaviors. They develop anxiety due to stress or even separation anxiety. If you find your cat to be urinating all over the house and not his litter box, it is a sign that he is under stress or separation anxiety. Know more on cat behaviors and what they mean.

Are you experiencing the same problem with your cat? Is your cat urinating all over the place and showing aversion to his litter box? Well, your cat is trying to catch your attention or show that he is not well. The cat is trying to mark his territory within the house as he is feeling anxious or stressed. Cats begin fastidious and absolutely clean animals, urinating and defecating outside the litter box is a very odd cat behavior. Let us see a bit more in detail about the symptoms of anxiety in cats. Know more on cat health.

Symptoms of Anxiety in Cats

Cats suffer from a weak immune system when under stress. The hypothalamus in cats brain triggers the body to release chemicals that prepares it for fight or flight. This leads to a constant flow of chemicals in the bloodstream of anxious cats. It weakens the immune system and makes the cat susceptible to diseases. The cat behavior undergoes a drastic change and you may observe the following changes like:

Pacing around the house

Loss of appetite

Excessive grooming

Vomiting

Shyness

Trembling

Weight loss

Loss of affection

Urination or defecation outside the litter box

These behaviors call for immediate medical attention, especially for cats undergoing separation anxiety or a cat who gets 'spooked' very easily. Let us see in detail, what does marking territory mean in cats.

Marking Territory in Cats

Many cats urinate around the house to mark their territory. They find a spot around the house they feel is new to them and urinate. Or if you have moved furniture in your house or brought in new furniture, the cat will urinate to mark his new territory. If the cat feels, he is being ignored by the owner, he will urinate around the house to remind the owner of his presence. If you have brought in a new litter box, then you may need to retrain the cat to use the litter box. This may take some time and patience. The cat may not be sprayed or neutered. In my case, of the above mentioned points only neutering was found to be the reason and the vet also diagnosed some other illness in Peppers. It was a case of separation anxiety according to my cat's vet. Let us see the symptoms of separation anxiety in cats in detail. Know more on cat training.

Symptoms of Separation Anxiety in Cats

Separation anxiety in cats occurs when the cat develops a strong bond with the owner. The cat wants to be with the owner at all times and even follows him from room to room. In my case, Peppers has developed a strong bond with my mother and follows her around the house. The minute my mom steps out of the house he begins to sulk and insists following her outside the house. He even hides under the bed, till she returns home. Peppers, over enthusiastically greets my mom on her return, as if he never expected to see her again and wants her to pet him and fuss over him all the time. If your cat is also suffering from separation anxiety, you may observe your cat's behavior similar to Peppers. The most common symptoms of separation anxiety in cats are:

Urinating and defecating near the door or near your personal items.

Destructive chewing and scratching on the furniture or other house items.

Cats may stop eating when left alone or may suffer from anorexia.

Vomiting when the owner is not around.

Excessive grooming that leads to a bald spot in one or two areas of the body.

Vocalization like meowing, crying and moaning when the owner leaves.

Separation anxiety may be genetic or environmental. When a young kitten is orphaned or weaned too early, he/she may develop separation anxiety in future. If you fear, your cat is suffering from separation anxiety, then visit the vet to conduct a complete physical examination of the cat. If your cat is urinating or defecating outside the litter box too often and howling and crying while answering natures call, he may be developing a urinary tract infection. A cat food allergy may be the cause of excessive grooming. This calls for a complete blood count, chemistry profile, thyroid testing, urinalysis and blood pressure check up.

How to Treat Anxiety in Cats

If you cat is suffering from separation anxiety, then the best solution is to ignore it completely for 15 minutes, before leaving and after coming home. You may leave some toy around to distract the cat's attention. Keep the cat's favorite toys around the house before leaving and keep them away as soon as you come home. You may even make a perch near the window, so that the cat is busy watching the birds and other stimulating things outside the window. Or else you may try giving the cat anti anxiety medication for cats, under veterinary advice. Let us take a look at some anti anxiety medication for cats that may prove to be helpful.

Anti Anxiety Drugs for Cats

There are a number of anti anxiety drugs for cats that are commonly used to treat separation anxiety in cats. The following are some anti anxiety drugs for cats:

Buspar: Buspirone is used to relieve anxiety in humans with minimal muscle relaxation and is not known to be an addictive drug. In veterinary medicine, it is used to treat phobias like thunder, people in uniform and territory marking in cats. Buspirone requires several weeks of administration to achieve the desire effect on the cats behaviour. It helps in treating separation anxiety in animals. This anti anxiety medication for cats has a side effect that makes the cat too affectionate towards the owner. Although this may not sound much of a problem, but be ready to spend many sleepless nights due to aggressive behavior in cats like excessive purring and rubbing.

Clomicalm: This anti anxiety drugs for cats is the first one that was approved by the FDA for use on dogs as well as humans. This anti anxiety medication for cats is widely used for treating pet separation anxiety, urinating around the house, obsessive compulsive disorders, dominance aggression, etc. This anti anxiety drug for cats, shows side effects that include retention or difficulty in passing urine, reduction in the intestinal mobility, etc.

Fluoxetine: Fluoxetine is used as anti anxiety medication for cats and dogs to treat urinating in inappropriate places, separation anxiety, compulsive chewing, circling, self mutilation and aggression. This anti anxiety drugs for cats is given once a day. The common side effects of this anti anxiety medication for cats include drowsiness and lethargy. It may show a 'disinhibition' phenomenon in the animal. It means when the animal's inhibition of aggressive behavior is reduced, the anxiety over the consequences due to such behavior is removed. Therefore, if the animal was not aggressive before, he or she may show signs of aggressiveness after taking the drug.

Amitriptyline: This anti anxiety medication for cats is used to treat separation anxiety, urination outside the box, feline lower urinary tract disease and obsessive grooming. This anti anxiety drugs for cats may show drowsiness, sedation, dry mouth, urinary retention and constipation, as side effects of the drug.

Valium: This anti anxiety drug for cats is used for a number of uses in treating seizure disorders in cats, muscle cramping diseases like 'Scotty cramp', irritable bowel syndrome, stimulating appetite in cats, territory marking urination in cats, extreme involuntary muscle contraction, etc. The side effects of this anti anxiety medication for cats may show liver failure after several days of use. Thus, it is important to check the cat's liver enzymes before the use of this drug.

Feliway: Although this is not an anti anxiety medication for cats, it is a spray that mimics feline pheromones. These pheromones are produced from the cats cheeks when rubbed against any object. This product helps creating a friendly environment to the cat that helps reduce the general anxiety and territorial behavior in cats.

If you think your cat is also undergoing bouts of anxiety, please speak to a vet about the possible causes and their solutions. When it comes to anxiety, cats are just like us humans and need to be treated on similar lines. It is important to take the best pet care and consult medical experts when in doubt. You need to provide the best care to your pet, who is totally dependent on you for his/her needs. I have started with the treatment for anxiety and urination outside the litter box for my Peppers, that includes anti anxiety medication for cats under veterinary prescription. I hope to see some change in the behavior in my cat soon. I hope the same for your anxious cat too.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult a health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.