It’s hard to picture a cat tearing up a pillow because its owner left the house. A recent study showed that cats living with humans have similar attachment styles to pet parents as dogs and children do.
64 percent of the cats evaluated were described as securely attached to their humans. These cats showed less stress when near their caregivers.”
Source: PetMD, June 8, 2020. Link. A few possible signs that a cat is suffering from separation anxiety include:
- Urinating outside the litter box
- Defecating outside the litter box
- Excessive vocalization
- Destroying things: more common in male cats
- Excessive grooming: more common in female cats
- Hyper-attachment to their caregiver
INSIGHTS: Consider sharing this article with your client database on social media and in newsletters. Since our industry struggles with serving cats in pet-owning homes, some of this behavior information can be helpful in getting a cat into the clinic for an exam.
Note the article ends with, “see your veterinarian.”