There have been more than enough studies showing that pets – mainly cats and dogs – do suffer from anxiety and even depression. The critical part here is that, unlike us, pets cannot go to a therapist and have their problems solved. In this case, the best therapist a pet can get is their owner. As such, in the following lines, we’ll introduce you to everything that you have to know about pet anxiety – as well as to a couple of ways through which you can manage and treat it!
The Main Symptoms
As mentioned above, various studies have tackled the issue of anxiety in pets. Those studies showed that the most common causes of anxiety are loud noises and other pets or persons. Naturally, this explains why our pets may act weird when we bring a new pet into the house. While the causes are few, the symptoms of anxiety are numerous and may confuse the pet owner. For example, pets suffering from anxiety may:
- Act/behave in an aggressive manner.
- Excessive tail wagging, as well as yawning and lip licking.
- Destructive and/or aggressive behavior.
- Increased restlessness.
- Compulsive and even repetitive behavior that is, usually, easy to notice.
- Irregular elimination, via either bowel movements or urination, in various areas of the house and not in the litter box.
Overall, anxiety can be caused by things as simple as boredom, fear, and even frustration – if, for example, the new kitten sleeps in their bed. At the same time, the symptoms are quite easy to notice, especially if you know the usual behavior of your pet. For example, a cat may usually knock down items from shelves to draw your attention – but they’ll do so more often and recklessly when they experience anxiety.
How to Manage/Treat Pet Anxiety
When it comes to treating pet anxiety, you need to act with care. While dogs may need your presence more, depending on their symptoms, cats will usually need some time alone in order to get used to the situation. As such, if you think your cat is anxious, it is better for you to let it approach you rather than forcing your hug and cuddles onto him/her. Then, it is also essential that you maintain a proper play schedule and a balanced diet. Since pets may lose appetite when anxious, you can try supplementing their diets with CBD pet products, which are known to relieve anxiety as well as build appetite.
The Bottom Line
In the end, in terms of pet anxiety, you have to keep in mind that pets need to be kept an eye on. You’ll never be able to tell if something’s wrong with them if you don’t know how they usually behave! For example, anxious cats may experience diarrhea and may need medical assistance if things don’t get better – you have to be able to tell when they have to be treated, or else you may endanger their health. On the other hand, when it comes to managing pet anxiety, you first need a bit of patience and a lot of care. Your pets will need both space and time to accommodate to anything new or to get over something that has recently happened and caused them to be anxious.
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