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Published in the Ithaca Journal on Friday, January 3, 2003
Cat's strange behavior could be caused by separation anxiety
Spotlight on Pet Behavior
By MICHELLE BAMBERGER
Special to the Journal
Question: My cat will not let me leave my house. As soon as I walk out of my bedroom (he knows when I am leaving) and put on my shoes, he runs to the stairs and tries to stop me by meowing (it sounds like screaming) or attacking my shoes. My friends have seen him do this and are amused by his behavior. I have never experienced this before and I do not understand why he does this. Please help.Answer: Before deciding that this is purely a behavioral problem, it is important to be sure your cat is not in pain or suffering from any medical problems that might initially manifest themselves as behavioral changes. Normal results on a physical exam and on blood and urine tests would help rule out problems such as hyperthyroidism, urinary tract disease and organ failure.
From your description, it seems as if your cat is becoming anxious when you leave. An important question to ask is whether your cat displays this behavior at other times too. For instance, you mentioned that your friends have witnessed your cat's behavior and were amused by it. Does your cat often misbehave when your friends are visiting or when you are busy and not paying attention to him? If so, your cat's behavior may be driven more by attention-seeking than by anxiety.
If this is the case, you and your friends can try ignoring your cat for at least two weeks and note changes in his behavior. You may notice that his aggressive behavior will worsen before it improves; this is normal. When he screams or attacks, don't respond to him in any way; don't talk to him or look at him, even in a negative way, as this may serve to reinforce the very behavior you wish to eliminate. You will find that this is hard to do but will work in extinguishing a behavior that is based in attention-seeking.
If your cat is screaming and attacking your shoes only when you leave, he may truly be suffering from anxiety whenever you leave him. Separation anxiety is a well-known problem in dogs, but one that may also occur in cats. The most common sign of separation anxiety in many cats is inappropriate elimination; other signs include excessive grooming, vocalization and destructiveness. Some cats may simply hide when anxious or, like your cat, may meow and become aggressive.
As you suggest, the key to solving this problem is to understand why your cat becomes anxious when you leave the house. Sometimes, slight changes in our schedules or our own behavior can condition cats to anticipate becoming fearful in certain situations. There may be many triggers for anxiety in cats, including the presence and behaviors of other animals outside the house or when the household changes in family composition (including the death of a person or another pet), a recent move, strange noises or scents and being hospitalized or boarded.
Treatment for your cat would ideally depend on the specific cause of the anxiety. If separation from you is what triggers anxiety in your cat, then the treatment is based on teaching you and your cat different ways to approach your leaving. For instance, you should go through the motions of leaving (shower, dress, take keys), but instead of leaving, you would sit down and read a book. By doing this, you are breaking the connection to all the clues you give him as you leave every day. Also, ignore your cat for about 20 minutes before departing and on returning, because you may inadvertently increasing his anxiety by giving him more attention than usual as you come and go. You might also try modifying your cat's environment by distracting him with a special toy or treat as you leave (one reserved only for when you are gone) and by increasing your cat's play area by adding a kitty condo. Also, remember that your cat should have a "safe" spot, somewhere he could go where people or or other pets won't bother him.
If you cannot resolve the problem on your own soon, you should see a veterinarian who practices behavior medicine. The longer a problem behavior occurs, the more reinforced it becomes and the more difficult it is to change.
Michelle Bamberger is a veterinarian and owner of Vet Behavior Consults (www.vetbehaviorconsults.com), a practice based in Ithaca and devoted exclusively to solving behavioral problems in small, large and exotic animals. Send questions for her column to mjb57@cornell.edu, mail them c/o Jessica Keltz to The Ithaca Journal, 123 West State St., Ithaca, NY, 14850, or fax them to 277-6845.