Anxiety disorders run in my family– and, through some bizarre act of nature and coincidence, it manages to affect not just my blood relatives, but also my adopted “children,” who are cats. My first experience owning an anxious cat came from peach-colored kitty, Celeste, who used to pull out her fur, urinate inappropriately, and hide when guests came over. My next was with my current son, Ziggy, who isn’t shy like Celeste but is still prone to physical symptoms of anxiety.
I’ve spent a lot of time at the vet trying to address some of my kitty’s symptoms of anxiety disorder, and I’ve learned a lot about anxiety disorders in cats in the process. According to my vet, cats (just like people) can have experience extremely diverse symptoms of clinical anxiety, and the symptoms vary from cat to cat. If your kitty does have an anxiety disorder, there are several things you can do to ease his symptoms. Here are some symptoms that indicate you should talk to your vet about your kitty’s mental health.
Poop Problems
Like people, kitties tend to get upset tummies when they’re stressed or anxious. One of the most common symptoms of clinical anxiety in cats is a condition known as stress colitis, which causes cats to get bloody diarrhea when upset or anxious. Other causes of colitis include problems like food allergies and autoimmune disease. My boy Ziggy is especially prone to this condition when he’s stressed. Other cats will get constipated when anxious, completely unable to poop for several days.
Some cats are just naturally shy, and don’t tend to glue themselves into people’s laps the first time they meet. There’s nothing wrong with this at all: every cat is an individual. But, if your cat runs under the bed as soon as someone enters the room or runs in terror when she sees a new person, it could be a sign of an anxiety disorder (possibly caused by former abuse or neglect, if you got her from a shelter or as a stray).
Excessive Meowing
Vocal cats aren’t necessarily anxious: many just really like to “talk” to their owners. But consider this: meowing is actually an adaptation that, in the wild, is seen only in young kittens who need their mother’s attention because they are in danger. Often, a cat who is meowing is expressing a feeling that something is very wrong. If your cat meows frequently and with a tone that indicates panic, not conversation, odds are high that he’s coping with symptoms of anxiety disorder.
Regurgitation and Vomiting
Regurgitation and vomiting are both symptoms of anxiety disorders in cats. A kitty may regurgitate (spit up undigested food shortly after eating) or vomit (hurl partially-digested food hours after eating) in response to strong feelings of panic. According to feline-only veterinarian Shelby Neely, some vomiting in cats is normal– they simply tend to puke more than most animals. But, if your kitty vomits or regurgitates often, he needs a trip to the vet. Anxiety, or another medical condition, could be to blame.
Anxious cats are often susceptible to litter box problems, including a refusal to use the litter box at all (a serious problem) and occasional accidents in inappropriate places (a more treatable issue). This is because if your cat feels pain while using the litter box– such as if he has stress colitis or urinary crystals related to anxiety– he will look for other places to go, hoping that they will make voiding his bowels and bladder feel less unpleasant. Anxious cats who live with other kitties might avoid the litter box for fear that the box’s “owners” (the more dominant cats) will retaliate.
If you believe your cat is suffering from clinical anxiety, it’s important to take him to the vet– both because his symptoms might indicate a more severe problem (like a digestive tumor or urinary condition) and because his vet can offer helpful treatment guidelines. In some cases, your kitty may need an anti-anxiety medicine like Valium to ease his symptoms. Your kitty needs and deserves the best possible care, so don’t hesitate to get help if you think he has any physical or mental medical condition.
