My cat seems anxious when I leave. Could it be separation anxiety?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 5 lbs
How do you know if your cat has separation anxiety
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on January 27th, 2019
True separation anxiety is not horribly common in cats. But the signs would that your cat shows distress when left alone or separated from you (or other people she's attached to). You might be self-inflicted trauma, excessive vocalization, urinated or defecating inappropriate places, lack of appetite, withdraw, over grooming or (less commonly) destructive behaviors. She might be hyper focused on you when you are around or vocalize/follow you when you prepare to go. It's important to check for a medical reason for any of the symptoms you're seeing (for example, if there are litter box issues, it could be separation anxiety, or could be related to illness or cystitis or many other causes). Generally, videotaping what she does when you're not home is helpful in diagnosis, and then a full blood panel (CBC, blood chemistry, urinalysis, fecal test) and exam to check for medical issues. I hope that gives you some idea about if your kitty is effected and how to proceed! Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 27th, 2017
It sounds as though your cat is acting out after being left at the house alone. It is not uncommon for cats to become stressed when anything in their environment changes, such as a departure from the normal routine with their human. I would recommend trying some Feliaway diffusers in your house to see if that can help relieve some of your cat’s anxiety. If her anxiety is very severe, you may want to talk to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medication for her long-term or just while you were out of town. I hope this helps. Thanks for the Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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