Anxiety at being left alone

Cats that take being left alone badly are under stress. They may howl, behave destructively or ignore their litter box. There are several ways of dealing with this.

Shut your cat in when you leave the house

Every time your cat does something you do not want it to do, the habit takes a deeper hold. The first thing to do is to stop it making that mistake at all — that alone will go a long way towards breaking the vicious circle.

Give your cat physical exercise

A bored cat is usually a naughty cat. Be sure to give your cat a good ten-minute aerobic workout twice a day — once in the morning and once in the evening. With a toy on a string or a fishing-rod toy you can exercise the cat while you drink your coffee or watch the morning news on television.

Give your cat mental exercise

Playing with your cat stimulates its mind. Training it gives that mind work to do. Mental work has almost the same calming effect as physical work, so do not overlook it.

Do not punish your cat

Punishing a cat that is under stress will only make the stress worse. And more stress means still more of the behaviour you do not want. Whatever you find when you get home, stay calm! If you must scold somebody, scold yourself. After all, you should have shut the cat in, should you not?

Think about getting your cat a companion

Most cats like company, or at least come to like it in time. If your cat has company through the long day, the day passes faster, and that takes a load off you as well. Think about it! Two cats are not much more work than one, except when they are long-haired cats with a soft coat that has to be combed every day.