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Vacation and Separation Anxiety in Cats

428 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  ChaosCat 
#1 ·
Changes in Your Cat’s Environment
Cats adore routine and thrive on it to the point that changing anything can potentially cause them to become stressed. When cat owners go on a vacation a lot of things change for their pets including the absence of their owners, different feeding times, less attention, new people and sometimes new environments if they are being boarded.

It can take your cat anywhere from five days to two weeks to adjust and accept a new routine (sometimes even longer). Just consider how long it takes some cats to accept new cats into their homes or to adjust to a new house. Both of these situations demonstrate how inflexible cats potentially are. A stranger, such as a pet sitter, who doesn't adhere to the routine, also adds stress to your cat’s life. Just about the time your cat becomes used to the new routine with the pet sitter you return from vacation and change their daily routine again. You also no longer smell familiar to your cat because they haven’t been able to refresh their cheek-rub markings while you were away. As a result, some cats hide, become defensive, or exhibit unwanted behaviors.

Urinating Outside the Box
One of the most common behavior problems seen in cats when a change occurs in the household is inappropriate elimination, especially urination outside the litter box. Cats may act out with aggression or be fearful toward pet sitters they do not know or in new environments such as boarding facilities. These emotions may cause them to urinate outside their litter box as they try to tell us they are scared, stressed, etc. Since cats like the smell of themselves, the urine marking also helps calm them down by spreading their scent onto items that smell like their owner. Urine is challenging to remove from items like furniture, carpeting, and mattresses, so it is frustrating for people to deal with and clean up.


Excessive Scratching in Cats
In addition to unwanted urination, cats may also start scratching things more if they are upset or stressed. Scratching is a natural behavior and is used to maintain the health of their claws and to mark their territory. But this behavior may increase during stressful times for your cat.
 
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