Find ways to alleviate feline's anxieties

Is your feline is under stress? If you acknowledge your feline is stressed out, it is important to find the source of the stress to eliminate or lessen it. The source will often dictate the remedy.

It is not difficult to identify some obvious sources of feline stress. Adjusting to new environments is something most felines don't do well - they appreciate a set routine.

Storms and loud noises send them into hiding, and most do not travel well, especially when the car ride and carrier are associated with the veterinarian, boarding or the groomer.

Is your pet anxious when you leave the house and when you come home? Your buddy probably misses you so much he is suffering from separation anxiety.

Some felines do not do well with the stress of a multi-cat household. Let's face it, some of us have a small cattery. Resources of attention, food and water must be shared. Some felines are like small children - they have a hard time sharing and playing with others.

To help with these stressors, some veterinarians are fans of pharmaceutical drugs like Elavil or amitriptyline. Strict monitoring of your pet's behavior and eating habit should be watched whenever trying a new drug.

There are certainly less drastic measures you can try to calm your feline. Herbal and flower remedy therapy should be considered. Such a natural remedy is Rescue Remedy Pet, which is completely different from Rescue Remedy, which has been traditionally found at health food stores and Whole Foods.

The original product had more than 20 percent alcohol in it. It tasted terrible to our felines and, in reality, we were really making them just a little bit tipsy. Of course we were modifying their behavior.

Feliway is another natural alternative. Although the product was initially thought of as a correctant for urinary issues, the product maker also suggests spraying it on bedding and inside pet carriers for less stress during travel. The usage makes sense because some felines do urinate inappropriately when under stress. The product also comes in a plug-in form.

Sometimes behavior based on stress or aggression can be redirected. A Kitty Kong is a toy I like to use to redirect aggression. It is a body pillow for felines and they love to kick the heck out of it.

If you have tried to prevent destructive chewing behavior and nothing is working, your only recourse may be to lessen severity and wounds with anti-lick prevent bandages. It is a product I have recently tried with some measure of success. The product is made by Nurtured Pets and is available in most pet stores. This all natural product helps alleviate skin irritations from all types of stressors. The strips can be cut to fit any size wound. Each strip is also individually wrapped.

Another suggested use for these strips might be on a recent surgical site to prevent the stitches from being chewed. Feline fanciers will be challenged to find the strips in specialty pet stores because they are in the dog grooming supply aisle.

Whatever way you are considering to relieve stress for your feline, consult with your veterinarian to help you decide what is best.

If nothing seems to work, you may need to ask your veterinarian about prescription mail order anti-anxiety medications. All felines respond differently. I must have tried three or four different prescriptions before my feline finally responded to Atopica. Good luck.

Featured felines

• Abbie is a friendly, black female with a little white on her chest. She used to live with other cats and dogs. When her owner brought home a new kitten, Abbie wasn't happy. Her owners decided that they were going to keep the kitten and took Abbie to the vet to be euthanized. Instead, Abbie came to Buddy. She has had a urinary tract issue that requires her to have special food, but otherwise is a very healthy cat. She is quite friendly with people, but may need to be an only cat.

• Colt is a handsome, gray and white male that arrived at the shelter with his siblings. They all got a late start being socialized and, as a result, spent most of their kittenhood sharing a set of five cat condos. Initially, Colt was not as outgoing as one of his brothers. Over time he became more friendly and approachable. He recently graduated to one of our cat rooms, where he is getting along well.

He is still a bit shy and may hide when someone new first comes into the room. It may take a couple of minutes, but his curiosity will get the better of him and he will come out to watch you and to see if you are going to offer him a treat or two. Once out he sometimes enjoys playing with the laser dot.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit (501c3), all volunteer, no-kill animal shelter. For information, call (847) 290-5806 or visit thebuddyfoundation.org.