posted by Marita on Apr 22
Cats are much more independent than dogs and seldom develops separation anxiety, however, it does occur. Separation anxiety in cats are often triggered when the owner is away from the house for extended periods of time, especially if there is a strong bond between owner and cat.
Symptoms would be:
Constant rubbing against you.
Constant meowing unless you pet the cat.
Always wanting to sit on your lap.
Prancing in front of you.
When you go to bed at night the cat would be waiting. It would spend the night on your bed, constantly moving about and snuggling up.
The cat would be very distant to guests and would not like to be touched by them. Would even respond to guests attention by biting and scratching.
When you go away the cat may get into self mutilation activities, like compulsive licking of the same area on the skin, until the hair is gone and the skin raw.
Defecating and urinating in inappropriate places - often on your bed. (Make sure the cat box are kept clean - this may also cause the cat to use other areas as a toilet)
Spraying may occur inside the house.
A cat who tends to bite and scratch when being petted, will become increasingly aggressive.
The best route to take is very similar to desensitizing a dog who suffers from separation anxiety.
Read our article here.
posted by admin on Apr 11
Desensitizing a dog is a long process and requires patience and commitment. It may often be difficult not to give in to the dog’s pleadings. Be strong. Be the Alpha Dog.
- Make sure that the dog is healthy by taking it to the vet for a thorough checkup. (read our article on medical aid for pets)
- Make sure the dog has a very comfortable place to sleep.
- Make sure the dog has good clean healthy meals and fresh water.
- Make sure the dog gets a lot of exercise.
- Revert to initial obedience training, like sit/wait/eat, etc. to re-establish your alpha dog position in the relationship.
- Never, never, never punish or scold the dog for destructive behavior. Research has found that anxiety levels in dogs who expect punishment, increases substantially in the half an hour before the owner is expected back home.
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posted by Marita on Apr 1
It is a tragic and ironical fact that pets suffering from separation anxiety often ends up being handed over to shelters or euthanized.
Sometimes destructive behaviour is a result of pure boredom, or even medical problems is mistaken as separation anxiety and then handled inappropriately.
Rule those out first. Take the pet to the vet for a thorough medical check.
Use a video camera to observe the pet’s behaviour after you leave. If the pet acts normally by sleeping a bit, drinking water, eating, playing with a toy etc., and only start with the destructive behaviour an hour or two after you left, it is most likely just boredom or inappropriate behaviour, that can be rectified with training.
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