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However, it does take time, patience, and understanding—but not punishment—to adjust these behaviors. If none of the other ideas have worked, you may have to take control of your own space and close the door. You can also set up a comfortable “cat space” where your cat can spend the night but can’t disturb you.

Three weeks after Ian, hard-hit Floridians are still searching for lost pets – The Washington Post

Three weeks after Ian, hard-hit Floridians are still searching for lost pets.

One of the most effective ways to decrease your cat’s anxiety level is to remain calm and relaxed during the visit. Speak to your cat in a calm and soothing voice and reassure her by petting her on her head or stroking her in her favorite spot. Unless otherwise directed by your veterinarian, do not feed your cat for several hours before her appointment to reduce the chance for vomiting or letting the bowels or bladder go during the trip. With regard to complementary medicines, the marketplace is full of products that claim to treat anxiety. While natural products are often thought of as benign, this is not always the case, particularly when it comes to treating cats, who have different metabolic processes than we do.

Durable options for transporting your cat range from soft-sided carriers, to wire crates, to hard plastic carriers with wire doors. Whatever the type of permanent carrier you choose, it should be easy to clean and you should be able to get your cat in and out of it without a struggle. If you have several cats, provide each one of them with their own carrier. I actually have a very antisocial cat who has to go in for i131 therapy in a couple of weeks and I’m terrified of what that whole experience is going to do to her and our relationship with her. She hates the vet, has to be sedated to even go and is still aggressive. Obviously, sedating her for the entire 4 days she’s at RadioCat is out of the question.

Can I give my cat a sedative or anti-anxiety medication to decrease stress?

But for the cat who is scared of the vet or doesn’t get along with their cat-buddy, even at home, the multiple-cat visit can be stressful. They may hear their housemate screaming in the other carrier, adding to the stress. Another tactic is to leave a cat who’s scared of the vet in the carrier. I have done entire exams with the cat remaining in the carrier as long as it has a top opening. Dogs have expressive faces and body language that’s pretty easy to accurately interpret. They wag their tails, make different noises to alert others of their moods, and often follow basic commands to please their people.

Recognizing aggression and startling an aggressive cat without physical contact is usually effective. Any type of physical punishment can increase a cat’s fear or anxiety and worsen aggression. Aggression, defined as hostile or violent behavior intended to dominate or intimidate another individual, is a fairly common behavioral problem in cats. Even if the zoomies seemed to have ended, wait a little bit before petting your cat.

No matter the breed, all cats have moments when they run across a room, meow like crazy, and act as if they’re on a racetrack being chased. They dart about, faster and faster, looking all over the place and then suddenly stop in their tracks. Learn about why you cat is in heat and how to prevent a cat from being, in heat from your friends at Hills Pet Nutrition. If your zooming cat is otherwise healthy, there’s no need to worry. Living peacefully with them entails shifting their schedule slightly and managing their environment so you can sleep.

Have them feed him some treats once he gets there – he may refuse the first few times, due to the fact that cats who are stressed do not eat. Build up the amount of time you spend there, and see if you can go when they’re not too busy, like in the early afternoon, so they can actually help you out and make it a pleasant petting experience. Slowly build it up from just being there and getting treats, to opening the carrier, to being touched, petted, and eventually examined – all within the carrier! There are carriers that facilitate the cat staying in the carrier by opening from the top, and most vets will be just fine with doing the examination that way.

Microchip your cat and make sure they have ID tags, so others people will know that your cat already has a family. Keep your cat inside whenever possible, especially during cold months or at high prey activity times, like dawn and dusk. Playing games with your cat, such as catch the laser pointer dot, fetch, and feather teasers can be very effective in tiring out willing cats. The longer you can keep your cat awake, the more likely they are to “crash” and sleep when you are. Often, it seems like cats are just out of sync with our wake/sleep cycles—and indeed, this is the case. If you’re wondering why your cat wakes you up at night and how to get your cat on the same sleep schedule as you, you’re not alone.

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Covering items with blankets, sheets of plastic, or double-sided tape may also deter scratching. A more expensive tactic is an indoor fence that delivers a mild, harmless shock when your cat crosses a boundary. Don’t make the mistake of trying to chase your cat, and don’t try to pick her up and cuddle. Chasing or trying to pet your cat during a zoomies episode can backfire as your cat might turn her energy toward you and attack your hands or feet. Cat zoomies are generally short-lived so you can usually just wait it out and your cat will return to her normal self. Most cats don’t zoom much longer than five minutes or so.

Cats are creatures of habit – they don’t like changes in the household or to their routine. Another likely explanation for why you can’t find your cat is that they are cheating on you with the neighbor down the road. Other friendly humans may have taken a liking to your kitty and begun feeding them, or even letting them inside their house regularly. Maybe they have tastier treats, or more interesting toys than you do at home.

Wool is often the fabric of choice, and a cat with a serious chewing habit can destroy sweaters, socks, blankets, pillows, and other valuable items. More importantly, this behavior can be harmful to your cat’s health. Bits of swallowed fabric can cause life-threatening gastrointestinal obstructions. In addition, cats that chew fabric may also chew on dangerous items like electrical cords, twist ties, or even pins and needles.

The best way to address status-induced aggression is to ignore an offending cat completely. Attention, including play and food rewards, should be given only when an aggressive cat is relaxed. A relaxed cat is not swatting or hissing, has normal sized pupils, ears held upright, and normal tail posture, with the tail held upward with no flicking, twitching, or hairs on end. For reasons that remain unknown, some cats may suddenly become aggressive when being petted.

If you notice excessive zooming, though, keep an eye out for any other unusual behaviors that may signal something’s wrong. Accompanying weight loss, changes in litter box usage or unusual vocalization, for example, should prompt you to bring your cat to the vet. Cats are especially likely to exhibit changes in behavior as they age. While it’s pretty easy to tell if your cat has a case of the zoomies, the reason behind them can be more mysterious. Luckily, cats have several ways of finding their way back home if all is fine and they don’t get stuck, trapped, or injured.

Put a safety collar with an ID tag on your cat; this way, it’s clear that they belong to your family and don’t get mysteriously ‘adopted’. By having your cats fixed, their mating drive will be diminished so you won’t have to worry about them roaming the neighborhood in search of 😺. Neutering has the added benefit of making cats less likely to engage in aggressive feline behavior with other cats. In some places, neutering your cat is mandatory by law so check your country’s regulations, in order to make sure your feline is safe. Get practical pet health tips, articles, and insights from our veterinary community delivered weekly to your inbox.

Please see the handout “Medications to Reduce the Stress of Veterinary Visits for Cats” for more information. The ideal carrier is strong, lightweight, and waterproof, with a large opening to allow easy access to the cat, and an easy to remove top with ‘quick release’ fasteners. If you have a carrier with a removable top, your cat may be able to remain nestled in the bottom of the carrier while your veterinarian performs some parts of the routine physical examination. And if your cat needs to stay in the hospital for any reason, the bottom part of the carrier can be put into the hospital cage to provide a familiar and comforting bed.