Welcome to Pet Peeves, a monthly series that aims to provide pet care solutions and expert advice for challenging scenarios that involve your beloved animal companions.
“Cats” and “separation anxiety” may not be terms you hear used together very frequently, but make no mistake: Separation anxiety in cats is just as real as it is for our canine companions. While separation anxiety in dogs is more widely studied and may manifest as things like nonstop barking and destructive behavior, the signs of cat separation anxiety can be a little more subtle. I chatted with two animal behavior experts to take a closer look at what can cause anxiety in our kitty companions, how to identify it as well as steps you can take to remedy their behavior issues.
We may think of the felines who share our homes as independent creatures generally unfazed by most of our comings and goings (at least when compared to dogs, who are more likely to follow us around and be attuned to our every move). “Not only do [cats] have this reputation of being very independent, making it hard for people to accept that their cat could feel so attached to them that they have separation anxiety, but cats—for some reason—when they express their anxiety, people intend to interpret it as some sort of spiteful, malicious action, instead of the request for help that it actually is,” says Dr. Annie Valuska, Purina scientist and certified applied animal behaviorist. It’s key to take a look at your cat’s surroundings and consider any changes to their environment that might be triggering their behavior.
“When cats manifest their anxiety, they’re not making a big show like dogs are, of barking and pacing and trying to dig through the wall,” Valuska says. Instead, you may hear excessive or different vocalizations; they might meow or yowl more when you’re not at home, for example. Another sign of distress can be destructive behavior, like scratching furniture or knocking things over to get your attention, adds Valuska, “but people again interpret this as more naughtiness than distress.”
A major signal that your cat is experiencing anxiety is inappropriate elimination—meaning you may see them urinating or defecating outside the litter box, including places like your bed or on your clothing. Valuska stresses that people should not interpret this as your cat being mad at you for leaving and “punishing” you by peeing in other areas of the home. That’s not what’s happening: “Your cat is stressed by you leaving and they are expressing that stress through [eliminating] on your bed.”
Note that this particular behavior might have some other causes outside of, or in addition to, separation anxiety itself: For example, if you’ve recently added another cat to your home and the stress may be coming from that change in dynamic, the fix could be as simple as setting up an additional litter box; typically, you want to have one for each cat in the household, plus one extra for shared use.
Similarly, if you’ve recently changed your cat’s litter or litter box, it may help to experiment with different types to see if this is the cause of their distress. (Our recommendations for the best cat litter and best automatic litter boxes are a good place to start.) When I adopted a senior cat years ago, he started peeing outside of the litter box a few months into our time together. I realized that my resident senior cat would occasionally swat at him when he exited one of our two covered litter boxes, and he was likely stressed by this. I put out a third, uncovered litter box, and the inappropriate elimination stopped.
Other signs of anxiety, whether separation-related or not, can include things like overgrooming, undereating, overeating and vomiting (especially immediately after eating too quickly), says Phil Tedeschi, a human-animal connection expert with Rover. Despite their reputation as solitary, independent animals, “we can also see what some people refer to as a Velcro cat—a cat that is right on them all the time—is very uncomfortable without them,” he says.
And it almost goes without saying: Sometimes, unusual behaviors in your cat may signal a medical issue, like a urinary tract infection or kidney problems. If you notice this occurring and the above interventions don’t remedy the issue, you definitely want to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible to rule out any health issues—or treat them accordingly if diagnosed. You should also discuss other symptoms, like excessive meowing or any new behaviors, with your vet.
While dogs tend to associate their sense of being “at home” with the presence of their family members—meaning you can go to someone else’s house or a hotel or anywhere else, and as long as you’re with your pup they are likely to feel reasonably comfortable—cats are a different story. “If you did the same thing, even with a very attached cat, you might see very different behavior, in that the cat becomes really shy or anxious or agitated,” says Tedeschi. “We often see cats take several days to start to feel like their immediate environment is actually familiar to them. So this is a feature of all cats, really being much more territorial in nature.”
And this means that while it may not seem like a huge deal to us, small things like rearranging furniture—especially the placement of litter boxes—can also be major stressors for a cat in your home. “Changes for them are more of a problem,” says Tedeschi. A change in their environment, like certain people being or not being in the home as often, can trigger anxiety and associated behaviors as well. He gives the example of a cat who has been used to the same family members being around all summer who go back to school, or a similar rhythm changing in household routines, leading to anxious behavior.
“My number one tip for most cat behavior issues is more play,” says Valuska. “And a lot of people don’t know how to play with their pet cats.” If you have the perception that your cat doesn’t enjoy playing, you probably just haven’t figured out what kind of play they like. Valuska recommends experimenting with different toys and play styles, and making the time to really engage with your pet to understand what they enjoy. For instance, some cats like feather toys or wands with strings or a toy attached, while others prefer furry toys or are drawn to ones that look like mice. Still others will go wild over laser pointers; Valuska adds that while she doesn’t love laser pointers, if you are going to use one, it’s important to end a play session with a toy they can catch so that they avoid feeling frustrated.
In addition to trying a variety of toy types so see which ones your feline likes best, you should also get creative about the way you move these toys around. Use different motions, like throwing them through the air, moving them around on the ground, trying different movement patterns or hiding them. “Just try until you find something that your cat is really excited about,” Valuska adds. “Because more play every day on a schedule is going to go a long way towards improving a cat’s well-being—and that’s going to be really good for their stress, their anxiety and their separation anxiety."
Feeding enrichment is another great way for your cat to channel their natural instincts into engaging “play.” You might want to consider a slow feeder that requires your cat to use their paws to dig out food, an interactive puzzle toy feeder or even these feeder mice toys that encourage their hunting instincts.
After a potential stressor has triggered anxiety-fueled behaviors, if you’ve ruled out any underlying medical issues, Tedeschi recommends giving your cat “a baseline period of several days to maybe a week to determine whether or not you’re starting to see them kind of coming down or deescalating.”
If a week has passed and you’re still seeing irregular behavior and things like elimination outside of the litter box, more frequent vocalizations or otherwise, seeking the help of a credentialed behaviorist could help you work through the approach for resolving their issues. This may include things like counterconditioning (i.e., teaching your cat that a certain trigger, like you leaving the home or anything you do leading up to that, isn’t a negative cue), which can be easier to navigate with the support of a professional.
The Forbes Vetted home team covers a wide range of pet products and services, from the best wet cat food to the best automatic litter boxes as well as pet care topics, like how to make traveling with pets less stressful and guidance for safely letting your cat outdoors. Our tips and recommended products are both expert- and editor-backed, to help our readers make the smartest decisions for their pets.
Have a pet-related question for us? Email efavilla@forbes.com with the subject line “Pet Peeves.”