Cat Parent Vows: Kitty, We Stay Together Until Death Do Us Part!

Parting ways with a loved one can be hard, whether it is for a short or long duration. We are sure pets feel the pangs of separation more than humans do in this case. Many pets dislike being left alone with none to care for. They love attention, cuddling, and playing. Having their owners around assures them a sanctuary.

Cats may appear bold, but sometimes they, too, give in to separation anxiety, just like dogs. Prolonged deprivation of companionship may lead to depression and other health disorders in your feline friend. Therefore, we ask you to consult the vet to understand how to handle occasional separation bouts. You may make vet visits without second thoughts if you have bought cat insurance, as it covers the vet visit charges.

Pet insurance for cats is necessary to tackle various health issues by allowing you to get your pet cat top-notch medical care at affordable pricing. So, if you haven’t purchased a policy yet, it’s time you explore one. Follow your vet’s advice to deal with your cat’s anxiety. Not all cats behave the same. For example, some cats love solitude, whereas others love company. In this article, we tell you how to help your cat get over separation anxiety.

How to detect separation anxiety in cats?

• Have an intelligent gadget like a camera to monitor how your kitty behaves at home in your absence. For example, install in places where it walks around frequently, to check if it will be fine when you are out for work or other chores.
• Carefully observe her behaviour when you are ready to leave home. For instance, pay attention to her antics when you pick the keys or put on your shoes, etc.
• Also, monitor her eat-play-sleep habits. If you detect any deviation from normal conditions, you may need to understand the cause and resolve the issue asap.

How to ease her pain?

Create a  cat conducive environment.

• Ensure your kitty has her paws full. For example, recreate spaces in your home to provide her furniture to crawl up and down, sneak in and out, walk/roll over, etc.
• Having puzzle feeders, treat dispensers, and other favourite things to eat keeps your kitty engaged for quite some time (of course, in a limited manner).
• Set up a cozy spot near the window, where it can sit and watch the birds flying, rain pouring, and admire nature.
• Plus, if your kitty has strong preferences for some music in the background or likes to watch cat shows, leave the tv on so it entertains them.

Knowing what entertains your kitty helps you with making the required arrangements.

Keep your plans to head out hush-hush.

• Now, you need not do it in whispers. Anyway, your elaborate preparation is enough for the whiskers to know what is bound to occur next. Therefore, we advise you not to make a huge deal about getting out of the home.
• Don’t bid sweet goodbyes, so your pet kitty drowns in misery until you get back. Ignore her, we say. It would greatly help if you didn’t throw the spotlight on her a couple of minutes before leaving. Stay calm and composed so she doesn’t get anxious.
• Also, pull out some of her favourite toys to play with when you are away. You can store them later once you get back home.

Improve kitty’s responses to triggers.

• Usually, cats detect something fishy if the feline parent has the keys to home/car, or is checking their purse/wallet or double-checking door locks and windows. Your kitty is too intelligent in sensing your plan.
• We suggest you train your kitty cat to think otherwise by not leaving home even though you pick up your keys/wallet, put on your shoes, or close the door. Instead, walk back into the room after a few moments. You may do this in iterations with varying time intervals, so your kitty is assured you aren’t leaving and knows you will get back to her even if you head out.

If nothing seems to work, take the vet’s help to know how to tackle this problem. With cat insurance, the vet bills are covered. Besides, pet insurance for cats helps your kitty with the diagnosis and treatment costs too. So why not buy a policy if you don’t have it already?