This is a partnered post with Purina, but all opinions are my own.
“The cats miss you,” Bryan told me when I talked to him one evening. “They walk through the house, peeking around doorways and act like they are looking for someone.” August was an unusual month for my family. I spent most of the month traveling and my son went away to college. Although our cats are fairly social, all of them like to be in the same room with us and some like to make sure they are sitting on top of us, I didn’t believe they would care if we were gone. Instead, I came home to a cat who was gnawing off chunks of her fur. Sassie, our thirteen year old cat, was not eating and losing weight. Who knew cats, known for their aloof demeanor, could be so finicky? When I attended a google hangout with Purina veterinarian Dr. Kurt Venator I learned the problem; my cats had separation anxiety. Who knew 20%of all pets have anxiety when school season starts?
Cats can show symptoms like hiding or improper use of the litter box. Of course this doesn’t just happen with cats, dogs can show symptoms too, like excessive barking, excessive chewing ,destructive behavior, pacing and improper urination. It can be frustrating for everyone, including our pets, but what can we do? Dr. Venator shared his favorite tips.
1. Start a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. Not only does this work with the kids, it helps reduce anxiety when pets know to expect the same thing every day. Why not try shaking your keys and giving your pet a treat before you leave? They will come to associate this with you leaving.
2. Have a designated play time for your pet. This is great exercise for the kids too! Take the dog outside for a game of fetch or for a walk. Use a laser pointer to play with your cat. Cats chasing laser pointers make great YouTube videos. Just saying.
3. Be present for your pet. Take time to snuggle with your pet or sit with your pet on the sofa. Bonding with a pet is a great relaxation technique for humans too!
4. Turn on the TV or radio before you leave home. This allows your pet to hear noise, while blocking the background noise of the neighborhood or the street.
5. Use distraction techniques. Give your pet a new toy or teach them a new trick.
Your pets will be happier and you will be happier too when your pet doesn’t have symptoms of anxiety! For more information on how to help your pets, please visit www.petcentric.com. What tricks do you use to lessen separation anxiety in your pet?
We usually leave my dog with my parents if we are going away for a few days. But I know she misses us when we are gone. I might have to try and see if these work for dogs too.
I wonder if your tips would work with dogs. We haven’t left him alone for a long period of time yet. He’s only 1 year old.
These are great tips, thanks!
My cat hates when we travel! I have a friend who stops by every day and sits with him for a while, petting him and giving him some attention.
I have heard of separation anxiety with pets before. These are great tips. I will have to share this with my friends.
I don’t like to be away from my fur babies. Last time we had someone watch them we did and it was bad so I just don’t go places now.
I love these tips! Our pets hate it when we leave and they have the worsts separation anxiety!
My dog went through this when he was younger, and it was hard. This is very helpful for us!
Thanks for the tips about how to help the cats not feel so bad when another member of the family leaves. I think the kitties will enjoy a new toy to play with while their family is away.
These are great tips! I knew a couple that used to leave NPR or talk radio on for their dog during the day while they were at work. Made the dog at ease because it felt like people were home.
It’s so sad to know that they’re missing you when you’re away. These tips sound like solid advice for keeping everyone happy.
With my parents living nearby, we watch each other’s pets when we are away. I can totally tell a difference in my parents’ pets when they are gone. Thanks for the tips!
My pets are definitely acting out and unfortunately there is not much we can do about it with out schedules. Hoping to remedy this soon
I never leave my dog alone – I get too afraid of theft, fire, etc .My last dog took seizures if alone and it really shook me up, so I have someone with the dog if I am unable to be there.
Our dogs seem to get separation anxiety a bit. These tips are so helpful.
These are great tips! My mother in laws dalmatian would sulk every time she would leave. It was pure hell when she would go on vacation for a week. He’d just pout in his crate until she came back home.
My dog does pretty well when he is left alone. He is now with my daughter when she left for college, so he is on his own a few hours a day
We are going away for a week and I hope our cat doesn’t have separation anxiety.
My parent’s cat had a hard time every time we left home. These are great tips for pet owners
I didn’t know Cats could experience separation anxiety since they seem so independent .I like the idea of the designated play time. This way they will get excited to play no matter how long you are gone
I am separated from my dog right now as we are in the process of moving so this post is super helpful! Thanks for these great tips.
Well sheesh!
That explains why the cats were so awful when we came back from extended periods away.
Never even thought they would have separation anxiety!
These are great tips. Some of my neighbors should definitely read this since we hear their dogs barking for hours!
I’ve never thought about cats getting separation anxiety but we definitely had a dog who did. These are all great ideas and remind me of a movie preview I saw recently about what pets do while their humans are out of the house!
Our dog gets horrible separation anxiety when we are gone for a long period of time. I will definitely be keeping these tips in mind before our next vacation.
This is really helpful. I’d worry about the cat if we were all to take a trip. She’s very social and I don’t know how she would cope when we’re gone.
Our cats always act strangely when we go away on a trip. These tips are great and we will keep all of these in mind for our next vacation.
These are really great tips. I know my sisters dogs always seem to stress out when she leaves for a couple days.
That black and white cat looks like mine! She does relatively ok with separation, but definitely is more affectionate if we’ve been gone.
It’s a lot harder for the dog, especially with fall and the changes that brings. Thanks for the tips! We do designated play time, cuddle time and walks. Although it’s 93 degrees today and I skipped and I feel badly!
I know my pup has some anxiety these last two weeks with kids going to school. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for this article. We’ve been thinking about getting a dog, and until today, I didn’t know that could be an issue. It’s something to consider.
These are great tips! As annoying as it is for us to find the destruction left behind by a freaked out dog or cat, it must be so much harder for them to feel that way.
When we go away for extended trips and have to send out dog to the kennel, my husband will wear the same shirt to bed for a week and then send that along with our dog. She seems to be comforted by his scent and knows we’ll be back soon.
Our cats are so spoiled when we are gone they don’t care but when we return they act like we abandon them.
Our dog gets anxiety so bad when we are gone. We have to have petsitters come and stay at the house to keep him company. He almost died when we left him at a kennel…
Yes, if we go away on an extended trip my cat seems to forget where the litter box is located! Even having a per sitter hasn’t helped!
That really odd, huh? I wonder why that happens.
We are only separated from our dog when we travel. We put him in a kennel, but he loves it there.