I’ve always known that pets have the ability to experience
anxiety, but it was only until recently that I’ve seen it in action. One of
my cats, Toto, started becoming very depressed. He wouldn’t play as often, he
would shelter himself under one of the chairs in the corner, he wouldn’t eat
with the other cats around, and he wouldn’t come to us for attention as often
as he used to. It was heart-breaking.
Toto is one of the sweetest cats you would ever meet. He is
compassionate, polite, warm, and loving. He will talk to you, greet you when
you come home, cuddle with you when you are hurt or sick, lick your tears when
you are sad, and loves to be a part of what you are doing. Toto will be turning
five years old in April of this year in addition to his brother, Nikki. They’ve
been together since birth. My husband and I, who I was dating at the time,
adopted them in 2007 as kittens. This past August we found a four-month old
orange kitten abandoned in our backyard. We brought him to the Worcester Animal Rescue League and adopted
him a week later and named him “Cooper”. Toto, being the compassionate cat that
he is, mothered him, groomed him, played with him, and made sure that he felt
at home.
Almost six months later, Cooper has fully adjusted, has
grown fatter, and is growing into a very big boy! However, Cooper only has one
drive each day, and that’s to play and annoy the other cats as often as
possible. He is constantly jumping, sneak attacking, and stealing toys from
Nikki and Toto. It doesn’t seem to phase Nikki, but over the last few months, Toto
seems to be taking it personally.
I started researching on what I could do to help poor Toto. The
more research I did, the more I discovered that Toto was most likely suffering
from anxiety.
I discovered that, in fact, anxiety
is extremely common in cats. Cats are extremely sensitive to their
environments. Even the slightest changes, such as a schedule or routine change,
a move, or even rearranging furniture can cause cats stress. It was amazing.
The solution? Spend more time with them. Invite him or her to play or spend
some time talking or cuddling. So I thought I’d give it a shot.
One night after I got home from work, Nikki and Cooper came
running to greet me, and there was poor Toto sitting under his favorite chair
in my dining room. I made sure to give Nikki and Cooper attention and thanks
for greeting me, and then I walked over and crouched down next to Toto. It is
important to drop down to the same level as cats so they don’t feel
intimidated. I sat and spoke to him, very calmly and softly, and after a few
minutes, I got up and left him to his space. It is also important to respect a
cat’s personal space. They like their alone time too. A few minutes later, he
jumped up out of hiding and called after me to keep petting him. Shocked, I
turned around and I returned to petting him. He rolled over the floor on his
black which means “pet my belly” like he used to do.
The next day when I came home from work, I repeated the same
procedure. Only this time we played a game with his favorite toys. He came out
of his slump almost immediately. Sometimes when we notice Cooper is bothering
Toto a little too much, we each entertain one so the other doesn’t feel left
out. Or since they have to have separate meal times, we will have play time
after dinner while the other cats are eating. Now each time we enter a room and
see Toto, we make a point to speak to him and pet him. And he definitely
appreciates it.
In a week, the changes in his attitude were miraculous. He’s
the same old cat we all know and love. I was really amazed to see how drastic
and quick the changes were. I was also amazed to see how well cats interact
with humans when you take the right approach.
I realize not all pets can benefit this, especially if some
situations have had its ill effects on them, but if you pay attention to your pet,
he or she will notice. Some pet anxiety situations can be treated with medications,
but I think that should be saved for extreme cases. Obviously it’s best to
consult with a vet prior to medicating your pet or buying meds off the
Internet.
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