My cat has severe anxiety. What meds can I use to avoid a vet visit?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Siamese | Female | spayed | 2 years and 3 months old | 9 lbs
I have a 2 year old female cat who has had severe anxiety since kittenhood. I have tried pheromone plug-ins, collars, sprays, and calming music. She is so skittish she runs when we approach her. I am looking for advice on medications, and our vet wants us to bring her in for an exam. This will make her anxiety a million times worse, so I am trying to avoid an in-person visit. Is there any medication that will help?
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 11th, 2019
Hi there. Yes, there are definitely medications that can help with chronic anxiety in cats, and she would likely also benefit from other changes in her environment to help make her more comfortable. Ideally, I would strongly recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a detailed treatment plan for her, including medication if he/she feels that it would be helpful in Sunny's case. You can search for one in your area here: www.dacvb.org If this isn't possible, then you can certainly work with your regular veterinarian if he/she is comfortable treating behavioral issues in cats. You will indeed need to have her seen for an exam in order to start any prescription medication - so you'll need to bring her into the clinic, or you can see if there are any vets in your area who offer housecall services. You can ask your veterinarian about using a calming supplement such as Anxitane or Zylkene before the visit to help make her a bit more comfortable, if needed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on
Poor girl. Anxiety in cats that are super stressed typically is pretty responsive to medications prescribed by your vet such as Gabapentin or Prozac. However there is one over the counter that you may not have tried yet called Zylkene. You can purchase this online without a prescription, so it is worth a try. : ) If this doesn’t help then a vet visit is recommended to get her a prescription medication to try next. I hope that Sunny’s anxiety subsides soon! Best of luck moving forward. Take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on March 12th, 2024
Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Ellie. I'm sorry she's having trouble with anxiety! Yes medications can help with anxiety, but she would need to see a vet in person to get the medication. We cannot provide a prescription for it from the site without seeing her in person; it's illegal, and against the user terms of the site. I recommend contacting her vet to make her an appointment to discuss the use of medication. A thundershirt may also help in conjunction with medication. You can buy them online, I also recommend looking at one of those. A tip to keep in mind when she is afraid is not to console her. It's natural to want to do that, but it actually reinforces the behavior. By consoling her, you are telling her it's ok to act this way. I hope this helps!
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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