Kitten separation anxiety

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

Hi,
I have a 5.5 months old female kitten who has higher than normal separation anxiety level. She gets very shy and anxious in new situations and environments with new people and expresses it vocally, as well as hide and not eat to the point of starving herself. Is there any way to correct this and when do kittens grow out of such separation anxiety if ever? Do timid and easily scared kittens become more bold and independent when they reach adulthood? She is by no means antisocial. She plays very well with people and cats she's grown up with.
Thanks

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
Can you try Cat Music, over the counter calming products and a purr toy or a heartbeat toy?

 

[danteshuman]

I think you need to look up cat separation anxiety for things you can do to reduce separation anxiety.

Varying your routine & just walking out the door without making a big deal out of it helps.

My cat had severe separation anxiety at 3.5 months old after a failed adoption. He is 3 years old now & only has a mild case. When he meows I talk to him & call him to me. I practiced going out the door and coming back a few minutes later. Whenever he put space between us or went in another room, I ignored him. He now naps in another room for a couple hours every day!

If behavior things don’t improve things, in 3? 6? months then you can talk to the vet about putting your cat on mood stabilizers (like prozac.)

 

[susanm9006]

There is separation anxiety and then their is anxiety over new people or environment changes. I would deal with them separately.

For separation anxiety, as in when you leave her, start out by videoing her reaction when you leave. If she appears to be distressed while you are gone, you may be able to lessen her anxiety as other have said by leaving for short periods and returning. In any case, I suspect this is something she will outgrow as she learns your routines and that you will always return.

Anxiety after you return or when strangers are over is something else. Some cats are just more cautious than others and while you may be able to modify this somewhat, she may always be nervous with new things, new people or even you when you first walk in the door. First, if she decides she needs to hide, always let her. You cannot force a cat into interactions. You may be able to entice her out by ignoring her and setting out a treat that you or a guest can offer. It works for some . And you need to be sure visitors know that kitty has to make the first move to them if she wants pets or touching. If people are respectful of her need to take things slowly she may decide they are fun to be around. But having a cat choose to hide whenever any strangers are over is okay. Just make sure she had a good hiding spot with food, water and a litter box nearby. This doesn’t mean that they are unhappy, just who they are and not that they are in need of medication to treat it.

 

[Nebaug]

I have 3 and one of them is attention (…) . He greats people at the door and screens people carry on , lol. I hand visitors their favorite treat and nobody can resist. They follow his lead and come for their share. Afterwards they do their thing as usual. Maybe in your case instead visitors handing out treats it should be you. As soon as everyone is seated go and give your kitty a treat and soon she will connect that with good things coming. She doesn’t have to run and great people but if you can get her to be relaxed, it’s a win !

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

Thanks for all your replies! But I think the real issue is that my kitten meows alot for no specific reason and I sometimes mistake that as that she needs help from me and when I run to her she is just normal and blinks at me. Separation and stranger anxiety is another. She just failed adoption yesterday because the couple who took her said she's been crying the whole night and been hiding and not eating since she left me. When I took her back to home she looked thinner and clearly starved herself for 24 hours but gorged whole bowlful of food when I gave her food and chicken breasts. I am worried that in this way I won't ever be able to rehome her with peace of mind in the future

 

[susanm9006]

Thanks for all your replies! But I think the real issue is that my kitten meows alot for no specific reason and I sometimes mistake that as that she needs help from me and when I run to her she is just normal and blinks at me. She vocalises loudly for no reason that I nicknamed her as aesops shepherd boy in my own mother tongue. I guess she just likes talking to herself. Separation and stranger anxiety is another. She just failed adoption yesterday because the couple who took her said she's been crying the whole night and been hiding and not eating since she left me. When I took her back to home she looked thin and clearly starved herself for 24 hours but ate just fine when I gave her food and chicken breasts. I am worried that in this way I won't ever be able to rehome her with peace of mind in the future

Hiding for 24 hours after adoption is pretty normal and some cats take that much time before they feel like eating as well. She may do best with an experienced cat owner who has no other pets and has been through adoption of a fearful cat before.

As far as the vocalizations she just may be a chatty one who needs to talk about how they are feeling all the time. I had one like that and when she was upset you just about needed earplugs. Again, an experienced adopter who likes vocal cats is necessary.