Feline Anxiety: How to Relieve Your Cat’s Stress

Does your cat suffer from anxiety or show signs of stress? Does your feline groom him or herself excessively? Lick their fur constantly? Pull or rip out the fur on their groin? Destroy your home when you are gone? 

How to Enhance Your Cat’s Environment

Creating a dynamic interior environment requires some creativity, but there are many simple steps an owner can take to encourage cats to explore and interact with their surroundings.
Table-top fountains—moving water encourages increased fluid intake, which is beneficial, especially for male cats. Cats also enjoy playing in the water, and the sound and movement offer a multi-sensory experience.

Create a Feline Busy Box

they provide cats with opportunities for play and exploration. Cut small holes in a shoebox, then add a few toys, such as ping-pong balls, feathers, catnip mice, food treats, along with a rock or a paperweight. Tape the lid shut. A cat will use their paws to “forage” in the box, trying to grab the toys and treats.

• Drop a few ping-pong balls or a walnut into the bathtub.
• Grow a pot of cat grass (wheat or barley grass) and /or a catnip plant.
• Keep a basket of small toys on the front porch and toss a toy for the cat every time you come home from work.
• Use toys on a wand or string for interactive play to prevent fingers and ankles from becoming targets for injury. Laser pointer lights are also a good interactive toy.
• Several companies have created videos and DVD enrichment programs that offer auditory and visual stimulation with birds and small mammals on screen.
• Window perches offer a safe and cozy spot for cats to watch the outdoors. This can range from simply cleaning the backrest of the couch to installing carpeted shelves along the window sill.
  

Vertical exploration

Vertical explorations for your feline friends such as cat trees, climbers, and furniture setups that encourage cats to climb, balance, and jump—provides both physical and mental exercise. Food-motivated toys—such as hollow balls, Kitty Kongs, ice cubes made with tuna juice, chicken broth, or catnip—motivate cats to play by providing food rewards for engaging in interactive behaviors.

Paper bags and cardboard boxes serve as areas for exploration as well as bases for hunting and ambush games. The key to successful exploratory enrichment is to rotate the toys and vary the stimuli regularly. Your goal is to create an environment that’s exciting, new, and fresh. Keep a kitty toy box with various feline treasures and change what’s accessible to your cat every week or so.

Goals of Feline Environmental Enrichment

While for many responsible owners, providing an enriching environment for their family cats might seem like going overboard, there are many positive benefits for the family as well. Cats whose needs for territory, stalking, hunting, and exploration are met tend to have fewer issues with inappropriate elimination, misdirected aggression, obesity, destructive scratching, stress, and anxiety-related behaviors, including overgrooming. A healthy, well-muscled cat will have a stronger immune system and show fewer signs of age-related disorders such as arthritis. Additionally, a happy, active cat will be a more enjoyable pet for the whole family.