Cats have a unique and special behavior. It is usually an extremely territorial animal that tends to properly socialize with other members of its species, in addition to its natural behavioral tendencies, to understand pathological behavior, you must first understand how they look in their normal state and define the anxiety itself.
However, in some cases we detect behaviors that we misrepresent as anxiety, a health problem that can be dangerous for our cats and very uncomfortable for their owners. At Animal Expert, we explain what the symptoms of anxiety are in cats and what we can do to help them.
- If you think your cat has the first symptoms of feline anxiety.
- Feel free to see a veterinarian who can help you find out what’s causing it.
There are two very important concepts in the definition of anxiety
That said, we can define anxiety as a state of distress without a specific cause, unlike fear or fear when targeting a particular object or person.To better understand it, we can set an example of fear of thunder as opposed to anxiety.during or before storms.
The causes of anxiety in cats are always associated first to their ecology and then to the relationship with other living beings indiscriminately between species.In order to conclude the definitions, please note that in veterinary medicine we rely on the following definition:
“Anxiety is a reactive condition in which the likelihood of fear-like emotional reactions increases in response to any variation in internal or external fear.The result is a disorganization of self-control and a loss of ability to adapt to any variation of fear..fearful.”
Learn more about separation anxiety in cats in this Animal Expert article.
To detect symptoms, we should think of 2 large groups
In the physical symptoms we can see tachycardia (increased heart rate) or tachypnea (increased respiration) with breathing. It usually occurs during veterinary visits but is rare in cats, and is more common in dogs. Also, loose stools or diarrhea, dilation. of the pupils, sweat can be seen on the pads (which can be seen when walking).
When we talk about mental symptoms, we can mix them or confuse them with behaviors we might think are normal in our cat.The intake of very little food is common in chronic anxieties (such as overpopulation of animals in small spaces) as well as in the lack of hygiene, so typical in domestic cats.
Another most common symptom in dogs than in cats is the excessive licking of some of its legs for no apparent reason.Changes in sleep such as hypervigilance due to the arrival of a new limb, marking territory in cats that did not do so before or excessively, and a very aggressive behavior without apparent and daily cause are some of the symptoms that we can find in our animals.
As we always advise in Animal Expert, in the presence of these symptoms or those that attract our attention, we consult the veterinarian so that you can make the differential diagnosis and isolate the anxiety with a percentage of certainty greater than our own intuition.
It is highly recommended to use smart toys, especially those that are food dispensers, so that our cat deflects his anxiety with activities that promote his intelligence and make him feel useful. Massages and caresses are also a wonderful way to help you release tension in your body.
On the contrary, Bach Flower Therapies and Homeopathy are highly recommended in these cases, animal reiki sessions can also be of great help, especially in homes where many animals live and where coexistence is sometimes difficult.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Mental Health Issues section.