Pets
#11 is often overlooked.
Anxiety isn't just for humans; cats can get it too. “Just like humans and dogs, some cats have personalities that are more prone to anxiety,” Dr. Stephanie Austin, DVM and medical director and veterinarian of Bond Vet, tells Bustle. “Sometimes this can be due to upbringing or previous traumas, but it can also happen for unknown reasons or a cat’s natural disposition. Signs your cat has anxiety can include everything from peeing outside the litter box to excessive grooming. This is something I personally have experience with: My cat Teddy used to suffer from severe anxiety to the point that he was on a low-dose anxiety medication for a few years. While the vet was never able to determine what caused my cat's anxiety, Teddy's symptoms started the first time we moved. As soon as we began packing, he started peeing outside the litter box, was aggressive toward my other cat during meal times, and became super clingy, which I later learned are all symptoms of anxiety in cats.
"Anxiety is the anticipation of future dangers from unknown or imagined origins that result in normal body reactions (known as physiologic reactions) associated with fear; most common visible behaviors are elimination (urination and/or passage of bowel movements), destruction, and excessive vocalization (barking, crying)," PetMD explained on its website. "Separation anxiety is the most common specific anxiety in companion animals. When alone, the animal exhibits anxiety or excessive distress behaviors." PetMD noted that cats generally begin to show symptoms of anxiety when they're between 12 and 36 months old. If you're worried your feline fur baby is anxious, these are the signs to look out for so you can help keep kitty calm:
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