Cat Anxiety and Stress: Signs, Causes and How to Help

The short answer: stressed cats often hide, over-groom, pee or poop outside the litter tray, spray, eat less, become irritable or vocalise more. Long-term stress can be subtle, showing as resting more and playing less. Common causes include changes at home, other cats (inside or outside), not enough resources or hiding places, boredom, loud noises and pain or illness. Help by giving your cat safe hiding spots and high places, multiple separate food, water and litter areas, predictable routines and daily play, and see your vet, both to rule out medical problems and to discuss treatment.

Signs your cat is stressed or anxious

Body language:

• crouching, with the tail tucked under the body
• ears flattened or turned sideways
• wide, dilated pupils
• hiding more than usual, or freezing when approached

Behaviour changes:

• peeing or pooping outside the tray, or spraying. See cat peeing outside the litter box.
• over-grooming, sometimes causing bald patches. See cat skin problems.
• eating less, or sometimes eating more
• more meowing or yowling. See why cats meow so much.
• aggression towards people or other pets. See why cats fight.
• scratching furniture near doors and windows
• sleeping more, playing less and seeming withdrawn

Sudden stress is usually obvious. Long-term (chronic) stress is harder to spot, because the signs can be quiet: a cat that just seems less interested, rests more, or hides away.

What causes stress and anxiety in cats?

• Changes at home: moving house, new furniture, building work, a new baby, partner or lodger, or a change in your routine
• Other cats: tension with a cat in the household, or a neighbourhood cat staring through the window or coming in through the cat flap
• Not enough resources: having to share food bowls, water, litter trays or resting spots, especially in multi-cat homes
• No safe places to hide or escape up high
• Boredom, especially for indoor cats with little to do
• Loud noises like fireworks, thunderstorms and parties
• Vet visits and travel. See calm and safe ways to travel with cats.
• Being handled too much, or when the cat doesn’t want it
• Pain or illness, which often shows up as a change in behaviour first

Stress also affects health. The Cornell Feline Health Center lists stress, from multi-cat households or changes like moving, among the risk factors for bladder problems such as cystitis.

Separation anxiety in cats

Cats can struggle when left alone, too. In a 2020 study in PLOS ONE, researchers surveyed owners of 223 cats and found that about 13% showed at least one sign of separation-related problems. The most common signs were:

• destructive behaviour
• excessive vocalising (crying or yowling)
• peeing or pooping in the wrong place
• seeming depressed or apathetic
• agitation or anxiety, including aggression

Cats were more likely to have these problems if they had no toys, couldn’t access the whole house, lived without other animals, had no outdoor access, or were left alone often and for long periods.

To help a cat that struggles when you’re out:

• Play before you leave, then feed, so your cat is ready to rest.
• Leave puzzle feeders, toys and window perches to keep your cat busy.
• Keep departures and returns low-key.
• Build up time alone gradually, if the problem is new.
• Ask your vet if signs are severe.

How to help a stressed or anxious cat

The AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines set out what every cat needs to feel secure. These are the most useful steps:

1. Give your cat safe places. Covered beds, boxes and spaces up high, like shelves and cat trees, where it can retreat and watch from safety. Make sure there’s at least one per cat.
2. Separate the key resources. Provide food, water, litter trays, scratching posts and beds in several different places, so no cat has to pass another to reach them. Use one litter tray per cat, plus one.
3. Play every day. Short sessions with wand toys let your cat “hunt” and release tension. See the best cat toys.
4. Keep routines predictable. Feed and play at similar times each day.
5. Let your cat choose contact. Don’t force cuddles or pick up a cat that wants to be left alone.
6. Respect their sense of smell. Avoid strong air fresheners and cleaning products near their spaces, and don’t wash all their bedding at once.
7. Block views of outdoor cats with window film or blinds, and use a microchip cat flap.
8. Introduce changes gradually: new pets, furniture or routines. See how to get your cat and dog to get along and our kitten care guide for introducing a new cat.
9. Consider a synthetic feline pheromone diffuser. These copy the “friendly” facial pheromones cats leave when they rub on things. The ASPCA notes they may help with stress. Results vary, but they’re safe to try.

Don’t punish a stressed cat for hiding, hissing or toileting in the wrong place. It makes fear worse.

Fireworks and thunderstorms

• Keep cats indoors in the evening around fireworks events, with windows and cat flaps closed.
• Provide hiding places, like a covered bed or a box under a table, and let your cat use them.
• Close curtains and play quiet background music or TV.
• Stay calm and act normally. Don’t drag a hiding cat out.
• Talk to your vet in advance if your cat is very frightened, since some can benefit from medication.

Making vet visits less stressful

• Leave the carrier out at home, with a soft blanket and treats inside, so it isn’t only linked with the vet.
• Cover the carrier with a towel during the journey and in the waiting room.
• Ask about a “cat friendly” clinic with a separate cat waiting area.
• Ask your vet about medication before the visit, if your cat gets very stressed. It’s commonly used.

When to see the vet

See your vet if your cat’s behaviour changes suddenly, if stress signs last more than a few days, or if your cat stops eating, toilets outside the tray, over-grooms or becomes aggressive. Pain and illness often show up as “anxiety” first. Your vet can rule these out, suggest changes at home, prescribe anti-anxiety medication if needed, or refer you to a veterinary behaviourist. Never give your cat human anxiety or calming medicines, which can be dangerous. See signs of a sick cat.

FAQs

What are the signs of anxiety in cats?

Hiding, over-grooming, toileting outside the tray, spraying, eating less, more vocalising, aggression, and body language like flattened ears, a tucked tail and wide pupils. Chronic stress can show simply as resting more and playing less.

Can cats have separation anxiety?

Yes. A 2020 study found about 13% of cats showed signs of separation-related problems, such as destructive behaviour, excessive vocalising and toileting in the wrong place, especially cats without toys or companions that were left alone a lot.

How can I calm an anxious cat?

Give it safe hiding places and high spots, keep routines predictable, separate its resources, play daily, avoid forcing contact, and consider a pheromone diffuser. See your vet if the anxiety is severe or new.

Do calming diffusers work for cats?

They help some cats, and they’re safe to try alongside changes at home. They work best as part of a wider plan, not on their own.

What is the best anxiety treatment for cats?

It depends on the cause. Most cats improve with changes to their environment and routine. Some benefit from vet-prescribed medication. Start with a vet check to rule out pain or illness.

Sources

• Machado D. S. et al. (2020), PLOS ONE: Identification of separation-related problems in domestic cats
• AAFP/ISFM: Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines
• Cornell Feline Health Center: Feline lower urinary tract disease
• ASPCA: Urine marking in cats