Anxiety and stress in kittens
A new home is always exciting for kittens. Some kittens explore their new world with great curiosity, while others are more cautious or even so scared that they hide under the sofa and don't want to come out. Pharmacy4pets is happy to help you with tips to calm your kitten and with calming supplements like Zylkene Plus.
How does a kitten show stress?
Sometimes it’s very clear that your kitten is anxious or stressed: it hides, hisses when you try to comfort it, or runs away quickly. Unfortunately, it’s not always that obvious. Cats can’t tell you how they feel, and their body language isn’t always well understood. An anxious cat often has wide-open eyes with large pupils and sits in a very typical way: slumped between the shoulder blades. Even if your kitten has been with you for a while, it can still experience stress. Signs of this may include changes in behavior towards you or other pets in the house. Some cats become more affectionate, while others withdraw and become very quiet.
Some cats overgroom or urinate in the house when stressed. Other cats become lethargic, almost apathetic, and stop eating. A kitten may also develop diarrhea due to stress. Stress and anxiety can manifest in many ways, so it’s important to recognize the signs of stress in your kitten.
Reducing stress in your kitten
More than just reducing stress, it’s important to take steps to prevent fear and stress as much as possible when bringing a new kitten home. Here are some tips:
Calm environment
As tempting as it may be to show off your new little friend to friends and family, it’s important that your kitten has the first few days to quietly adjust to its new environment. Limit visitors to a minimum, avoid loud music, and speak to each other in soft tones.
Introducing other pets
Don’t immediately introduce your kitten to other pets. It’s important that it feels safe in its new environment. Perhaps it can temporarily stay in a separate room where it can smell and maybe see the other animals, but where it can retreat if it feels overwhelmed. If you notice that both your kitten and your other pets seem mostly curious about each other, you can start letting them interact under supervision. Don’t expect them to be best friends from the start; this takes time and proper guidance.
Safe hiding places
Kittens like to retreat to sheltered spots. Make sure it has that option. Provide a soft and warm bed where it can curl up, and create hiding spots. A box with a hole often works well. And if it feels safe under the sofa, then that’s okay too.
Scents
Scents can help calm your kitten. If possible, it’s a good idea to bring a piece of clothing with your scent to the kitten a few days before it comes to you, so it can get used to your smell. You can also ask the previous owner to place a piece of fabric in the nest that can be taken to the new home, so the kitten has the familiar scent of its mother and siblings for comfort.
Pheromones like those in Feliway are scent chemicals that have a calming effect on cats. Plugging in a Feliway diffuser a few days before your kitten arrives can help it feel at ease. Of course, you can also start using it if you find that your kitten is feeling very anxious. The scents of valerian, catnip, and matatabi also have a calming effect. These scents are often found in cat toys.
Dietary supplements
There are many natural remedies available that have a calming effect. Zylkene is a dietary supplement based on a milk protein that can be used for both short-term stress and long-term use. Zylkene is safe to give to young kittens. The capsule containing the powder can be opened so the amount can be split for small kittens. Other supplements with a calming effect include Anibidiol and Telizen, which contains L-theanine from green tea. The Bach Flower Remedy, often used by humans, is also available for animals in the form of Bach Rescue Remedy. When using dietary supplements and pheromones, it’s important to also consider how the environment and situation can be best adjusted to reduce your kitten’s anxiety and stress as much as possible.
You probably want nothing more than a relaxed kitten that feels at home with you. With the tips above and a wide range of natural remedies, Pharmacy4pets helps your cat relax. If you have any questions about our products or about anxiety and stress in your kitten, please contact us.
