Whether you are a cat lover or not, no one wants to deal with a nervous and agitated kitty. These animals can get angry for many reasons: car trips, visits to the vet, noises due to thunderstorms, strangers in the house, an unknown cat outside the house, etc. If a bird is so upset that it growls, meows horribly, or runs around the room looking for a hiding place, it may need your help to calm down. Try to make him relax by changing the environment around him and giving him some space. If that doesn't work, consult your vet for medical treatments that can help your kitty.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Approaching an Excited or Nervous Cat
Step 1. First, think about your safety and that of the cat
Only approach the animal if it is necessary to do so, for example for a visit to the vet. In almost all cases, it is better to leave them alone when they are agitated rather than stroking or picking them up. If you need to get close to your kitty, the first thing to do is to protect him and yourself. Frightened or excited cats can bite and scratch their owners, unloading their aggression on everything in their paw.
- It is very important to approach with extreme caution.
- Approach your cat carefully, preferably wearing long sleeves and pants.
- Keep a towel handy and, if necessary, use it to catch the animal.
Step 2. Use a calm tone of voice and attitude
Talk to your cat calmly. For example, say, "It's okay Fufi, it's okay. Shh. Shh." Sit quietly and wait for him to calm down. He will understand that you do not want to harm him and that you do not pose a threat.
- Speak in a low voice, with a grave tone.
- By singing, you can relax your cat and relieve her stress. Just avoid singing loudly, with a hoarse voice or songs with large pitch variations.
- Turn on the television at a low volume.
Step 3. Draw the cat towards you
If he's still grumpy, give him some food. Wet food is often more tempting to cats than dry food, and fish smells more potent than meat.
- Allow him to climb to an elevated position so that he feels safe and can see everything that is going on.
- If possible, stroke the animal's face, sliding your thumb up from the nose.
Step 4. If the cat is still upset, confine him to a room
That way he should calm down. Close all the doors of the room you have chosen, close the blinds, curtains or shutters of the windows, so that the animal cannot see outside. Get all children and other pets out of the environment. Your goal is to provide your cat with a calm and non-threatening environment in order to reduce their anxiety.
To move your cat to a room where he can be alone, wrap him in a towel, leaving only his head out. Take him to a quiet place, such as a bedroom, along with his litter box. Do not move it until it has calmed down
Method 2 of 2: Long-Term Solutions
Step 1. Find out what makes him agitated
Once the emergency is over, you need to reconsider the situation. What was it in particular that caused the animal's crisis? If it was an episode that won't recur, for example if there were bricklayers in the house, you can take precautions for the future and keep it in a quiet room until everything is back to normal. If it was a stray cat outside that irritated him, you can use techniques to get rid of these unwanted guests by installing sprinklers or using chemical sprays.
If it was a problem that can recur (such as a car trip, the presence of a person, a thunderstorm), you can adopt strategies to help your cat cope better with those situations
Step 2. Use pheromones to calm your cat
These are chemicals released by the glands in the animal's body (found in the muzzle, feet, back and tail), which are used to communicate with other specimens of the species. Some pheromones, such as those released by glands on the face when cats rub on humans or objects, can calm stressed cats.
Scientists have managed to synthesize these chemicals in many different forms, such as collars, sprays, wipes and air fresheners
Step 3. Use other non-drug remedies
There are some natural products that can calm anxious or stressed cats. Essential oils or herbal mixes can mimic the action of pheromones and can be used as a substitute for synthetic pheromones. Some dietary supplements have also been shown to help relieve anxiety and stress in cats. The ingredients they contain promote the animal's natural chemical balance and help it relax. They are available in drops, as chew products, and as tablets.
- Cat body bandages are another non-drug remedy. These cloth and velcro bandages are wrapped around the stressed cat's body and are able to calm him down thanks to the pressure they exert on some particular points. The same principle applies when a mother picks up her baby or when a kitten is wrapped in a towel.
- Not all cats react positively to bandages, pheromones or herbal mixes. Proceed by trial and error to find the best remedy for your pet.
Step 4. Consider using fast-acting medications
Some cats have hormonal imbalances that require the use of medications to help them manage stressful or anxiety-inducing situations. These are temporary solutions, to be used on car trips or when visiting people your cat despises. There are many drugs that can sedate a feline for a short time. They require the prescription of a veterinarian, following a check-up of the animal, who must be healthy enough to bear them.
- Not all cats react in the same way to the same drugs, so most vets suggest an initial test period, which will allow you to assess your cat's response to sedatives.
- Remember, some sedatives need to be given about an hour before the stressful event, so that build-up of anxiety cannot counteract its effects.
Step 5. Ask your vet about sedatives that can help your cat
Many drugs are used for this purpose. They all have side effects and precautions for use, particularly for cats with health problems such as kidney failure, heart disease and diabetes. Only your vet can advise you which one is most suitable. Sedatives used for felines include:
- Benzodiazepines. Some examples are alprazolam, midazolam and lorazepam. They are the most used sedatives for cats. They act almost immediately on the same part of the brain that is affected by alcohol in humans, reducing fear and anxiety in felines. Note: NEVER give alcohol to a cat.
- SARI. Trazodone is an example of such a sedative. It works quickly by relieving anxiety.
- Clonidine and gabapentine. These drugs have sedative and anxiolytic effects in animals, including cats.
- Chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine are allergy and cold medicines used to sedate cats.
- Phenobarbital is another sedative used for cats.
Step 6. Explore long-term drug options
There are some remedies that can solve recurring anxiety problems in cats. In specimens suffering from severe and debilitating anxiety episodes, long-term medications (administered daily for months or years) are the best solution to make their life and that of their owners more enjoyable. Fortunately, there are some fairly safe medicines available today that can control the hormonal imbalances that cause your cat's behavioral problems.
- These medications include: Amitriptyline (an antidepressant that helps animals suffering from anxiety), Buspirone hydrochloride (useful for counteracting phobias, such as fear of people in uniform or fear of thunderstorms), Clomipramine (Clomicalm) and Fluoxetine (Prozac).
- For these drugs to work effectively, they need to "build up" in your cat's body, so it can take up to six weeks.
- Administration should not be stopped suddenly, as adverse effects may occur. The best strategy is to slowly reduce the dose of the drug to give your cat's body a chance to adjust to the new situation.
Advice
- Make sure you are patient and relaxed. Cats can sense your energy.
- If the cat escapes and hides in its kennel, leave it alone to recover.
- Sit at a 45-90 ° angle to the cat. This position is less intimidating for the animal and leaves it with an escape route.
- Put food away from your cat, then move away, to let him know he can move more.
- Do not try to stroke him if he is agitated. Leave him alone until he calms down. At that point you can pamper him.
- Cats can get agitated and annoyed if they are touched or provoked too much. Take care of your kitty as if it were your own child. Give him care and love.
- If your cat gets scared often, play some relaxing classical music around the house.
- Do not silence your cat, who may get nervous because of your murmur-like noise.
Warnings
- Get all other pets out of the room where your stressed cat is.
- If you try to get closer and your cat hisses or arches his back, retreat slowly and try a different approach.
