Best Treat: Vetriscience Composure Calming Formula For Cats
Delivery Method: Treat | Key Ingredients: Colostrum calming complex biopeptide blend, L-theanine, thiamine
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Starts working in 20 to 30 minutes
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Can increase dosage for desired results
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Can be broken into smaller pieces
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Some cats might not eat them
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Can be difficult to chew
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Medicinal smell
These treats, which combine colostrum, L-theanine, and thiamine can start to calm your cat down in as little as 30 minutes. In addition to soothing the nervous system, these ingredients support cognitive function and improve brain health. The dosage, or amount of chews you give, depends on your cats weight but if youre not getting the results you want, you can double or triple the amount with no adverse effects. You can also break a treat into pieces if a smaller bite is more appealing to your cat or you want to offer them a smaller dose. If you have a cat with an anxious personality, you can give these daily or you can administer them just as needed during particularly stressful times.
My cat is generally very nervous, so we wanted to find something to help her during car rides. It took several tries to get her to eat the VetriScience Composure treats, but we eventually had success by adding them to her regular breakfast. They do seem to help her chill out., Senior Editor
Delivery Method: Diffusion | Key Ingredients: Natural nursing pheromones
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Covers up to 700 square feet
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Easy to use
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Needs a refill every 30 days
Top Holistic Remedies For Cats
Holistic remedies focus on preventing problems and maintaining health. That starts with a healthy diet. An all-natural, high-protein diet can keep bodily systems functioning properly, and a healthy cats immune system will ward off many ailments. Supplements can target specific conditions.
What Can I Do To Help My Cat Calm Down Naturally
Pets are in tune with the emotions of their owner, so try to remain calm around your cat. There are also several natural products on the market that claim to help calm your pet. But none of these have solid evidence showing they work.
For example, feline facial pheromones have been studied but did not improve stress in shelter cats. Ask your vet before giving any natural products to your cat.
Another option is to work with an animal behaviorist. An animal behaviorist may use methods called desensitization and counter conditioning. These behavioral therapies help your cat to adjust to anxiety triggers and provide them coping skills over time.
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What Are Some Natural Remedies For Cat Anxiety
For cats with mild anxiety, a vet may recommend starting with these therapies prior to prescribing a sedative or anxiety medication:
- Behavior modification and environmental changes, such as those mentioned above.
- Supplements, such as L-theanine, Zylkene , or other calming formulations for felines.
- Pheromone products like Feliway, which release calming cat scent signals.
- A Thundershirt or other body wrap, which provides comfort by mimicking swaddling.
- Herbal treatments such as Rescue Remedy for pets.
- Catnip. Every cat reacts differently to catnip. For some kitties, they will be very playful at first, then get tired after running around. This post-catnip crash may be an ideal time for travel, grooming, etc.
Always check with your vet before giving any new medication or supplement, to make sure its safe for your cat and wont interact with any medications they are already taking.
Dont assume products labeled as natural are safe, either. Even natural therapies like certain essential oils can be toxic to cats.
What Else Should I Know About Sedatives And Cats
Here are some additional important tips for sedating a cat:
- Staying calm yourself may help, since many pets react to emotions or stress they sense from their human companions.
- Many vets recommend a trial run for sedatives. For example, if using a cat sedative for travel, give your kitty a dose at home before the big travel day to make sure the medication works the way you want it to.
- Many airlines dont allow sedatives during travel, due to safety risks. This is especially true for pets flying in cargo who cant be monitored, and for short-nosed breeds who are more prone to respiratory distress and at a higher risk with temperature extremes.
- If you have difficulty giving your cat a pill, talk to your vet about other options. They may recommend using injectable sedation at the vet clinic instead. Some medications also come in other forms, such as a transdermal formulation you apply to the skin. But these special formulations must be ordered well in advance. And some medications can be added directly to your kittys food so they ingest it on their own but check with your vet on this first.
As you can see, there are many different situations for which cat sedatives can be used and many different medications to choose from. After consulting a veterinarian, most pet parents can find an option that works well for keeping their kitty relaxed, happy, and safe.
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Protracted Vomiting And/or Diarrhea
This is among the cat emergencies that require immediate veterinary attention, especially when blood is present. Almost all cats occasionally yak or have soft stools, and such incidents usually arent emergencies. But cats who vomit repeatedly or have blowout diarrhea should see the vet immediately.
How Is Anxiety In Cats Treated
Stress reduction in pets should always involve some form of behavior modification or environmental changes.
A simple example of behavior modification would be leaving the cats carrier out in the home all the time and placing treats inside. Over time, the cat may come to view their carrier as a fun place rather than a scary place.
Done properly, behavior modification can have excellent results for some pets. However, improperly performed, it can reinforce anxious behaviors. So its always important to seek guidance from a professional .
Environmental modification involves thinking about the world the way your cat perceives it and then helping them feel safer and calmer.
For example, many cats feel safe when they are hidden. For this reason, many vets will perform a cats physical exam with the cat inside their carrier, where the cat feels hidden behind the carriers walls.
This trick can also be used for car rides. Covering the sides of a kittys carrier with breathable blankets creates a dark and quiet space to hide, which may help reduce a cats anxiety during travel.
Other common treatment methods include natural remedies, supplements, and sedatives or other medications.
Depending on the needs of a specific cat, sometimes a vet will start with natural remedies and a few tips for how to help a cat feel calmer in their environment. For some kitties, this is all thats required.
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Can Cbd Oil Reduce A Cats Anxiety
CBD products for pets have gained popularity in recent years, and many dog owners have seen benefits when using them to treat anxiety in dogs.
However, while there are many different CBD products on the market for cats, its important to note that there have been very few scientific studies examining the safety of CBD in cats. There is also no official regulation, as the Food and Drug Administration has not officially approved CBD products for therapeutic use in cats.
Cats are a sensitive species, and often have difficulty processing drugs that are safe in humans and dogs. Therefore, at Small Door, we currently do not recommend CBD for cats, and will not do so until there are more studies on its safety.
What Causes Cat Anxiety
According to The Cat Coach, Marilyn Krieger, a certified cat behavior consultant based in Northern California, cat anxiety can stem from many causes. A change in routine can be very jarring for a cat, says Krieger. New situations, an unfamiliar environment or a previously unknown animal can all cause stress. Even a home remodel or a raised voice can cause anxiety, depending on the cat.
Mikel Delgado, a certified cat behavior consultant and cofounder of Feline Minds, a San Francisco Bay area company that offers cat behavior services, adds that anxiety is different from fear in that its a sustained condition. There’s a difference between cats that get scared during fireworks on the 4th of July and cats that spend a lot of their time stressed out or afraid of what may seem like nothing, she says.
If your cat does have anxiety, this can take many forms, from hiding and refusing to eat to urinating and defecating outside of their litter box. On the other hand, cats that are comfortable in their environment will eat, drink and sleep in the open, they’ll interact with their people, they’ll play with toys, and theyll generally be out and aboutnot just hiding and slinking around all the time, Delgado explains.
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Travelling With A Pet
Cats can be difficult animals to travel with. While dogs may love travelling to different places, viewing is as a new form of adventure, cats love to stay at home where everything is peaceful. This is why it is important to take some extra care when travelling with cats and to consider taking some medicine to calm cats for travel. While cat lovers might be a little reluctant to give such medicine to their pets, the formulas are not harmful. Additionally, you are not doing a favour to your cat by taking him/her on a trip without providing medication. The stress and anxiety will do far more harm.
My girlfriend travels with her dog all of the time in the car and on the plane. Travelling on the plane is a topic for another article because there are significantly different rules. However, it is good to know that people use sedatives successfully and the experience for both owner and pet is better. She usually gives nessie the medicine an hour before take off and is causes her to be calm, sleepy and much less nervous.
Why Medication Shouldnt Always Be A Last Resort
Its understandable to want to try other options before a medical choice that may take multiple vet visits, time, and involve the risk of side effects. However, viewing medication as a last resort ignores the damage that stress does to a cat. Stressed cats can develop not just behavior problems but also health issues. Prolonging that stress can lead to worsening or new issues. It isnt fair to put your cat or your family through needless stress if a medication could help them.
It bares repeating, that medications by themselves arent instant or magical fixes. Your cat will still need a behavior modification plan for real change to happen. But if a cats stress level is too high and cant be managed through other means, they cant learn a different pattern of behavior. The longer the inappropriate behavior is repeated, the harder it will be to change, even if medication is added as a last resort.
Finally, by the time you are in last resort mode, you may feel less able to complete a behavior modification plan or give medication time to work . Do yourself and your cat a favor by starting with the strongest plan from the beginning.
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Benadryl For Kitty Nerves
Humans who have taken Benadryl know that one of its side effects is a sedative one. In fact, the active ingredient in Benadryl, diphenhydramine, is sometimes prescribed to both humans and cats for this effect. It also has an anti-nausea effect, which can be useful in preventing nervous cats from getting sick. Benadryl is often recommended for traveling cats for these reasons. It helps calm them and prevent motion sickness. The recommended dosage is 0.5 to 2 mg per pound of your cat’s weight every 8 to 12 hours. For example, if your kitty weighs 10 pounds, a low dose would be 5 mg and a high dose would be 20 mg.
Some Helpful Hints For Determining Cat Emergencies That Need Your Vets Attention Asap
The following list is designed to help you recognize cat emergencies that always warrant an immediate trip to the vet. However, it is not exhaustive, and you may find yourself in an ambiguous situation not covered on the list. If you are wondering whether you need to get out of your pajamas and head to the emergency cat vet in such a situation, there are some guidelines you can follow.
One useful indicator of cat health is the color of the gums. Lift your cats lip and look at his gums now. They should be pink and moist. Check them regularly, and youll get a sense of what they look like normally. If you suspect your cat is sick and the gums are pale, grey, blue or bright red, then your cat most likely is in trouble .
Remember as well that you are always free to call your cat vet or your local emergency clinic to talk about any ambiguous situation. The staff should be able to offer guidance.
Finally, remember that when in doubt it is always safest to have a vet evaluate your cat. A physical exam that reveals nothing wrong causes no harm doing nothing about a critical situation can lead to a fatal outcome.
Now lets list some of the most common and serious cat emergencies:
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Heres What You Need To Know
If your cat suffers from anxiety, you probably want to know what your options are to help her feel better.
Some cats might need a little extra push to help them be their best, and thats where cat anxiety medications come in.The Dodo reached out to Dr. Michelle Burch, a veterinarian from Safe Hounds Pet Insurance, to find out more about the different kinds of anxiety meds for cats.
Help Your Furry Friend Feel Less Anxious
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The Spruce / Sabrina Jiang
Just like people, cats can get stressed out from time to time. Boredom, overstimulation , and changes in their environment can easily set them off. While the best thing to do is keep your cats environment as stress-free as possible, calming aids for cats can also help when unavoidable changes are happening in their environment.
According to Dr. Zay Satchu, DVM, co-founder and Chief Veterinary Officer of Bond Vet, there are several different types of products marketed to help relieve stress and anxiety in cats, including treats, collars, sprays and plug-ins. Sprays and plug-ins work by releasing calming pheromones into the air that are calming and help kitty relax, explains Satchu. Treats use a blend of calming and relaxing herbs, similar to how some teas work for people.
So, what should you look for? The best calming aids contain pheromones, rosemary, chamomile, and/or tryptophan, says Satchu. Shes partial to Feliway products, but there are other options that cat parents have also used with some success. Keep in mind that no product is effective with 100 percent of cats, so it may take trying out a few different options to help your cat feel more relaxed.
Below, you’ll find the best calming aids for cats.
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Causes Of Cystitis In Cats
Most of the time, the reason why a cat develops cystitis is unknown. This is why it is often referred to as idiopathic which means an unknown cause. Stress, anxiety, other diseases, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, urinary tract tumors, and other things may all play a role in the development of cystitis. Some studies have shown that cats with cystitis also have low levels of a component of the cartilage in the bladder wall called glycosaminoglycans but the root cause of this is still a mystery.
Over The Counter Cat Sedative For Grooming
One of the main reasons you need to sedate your cat is for grooming. I have to do this once a month to remove matted cat hair. Since you have to groom your cat regularly, I would suggest using a natural sedative for grooming a cat. I would suggest some form of hemp oil, and if that doesnt work you could try cat nip.
Hemp Oil
Hemp oil is safe for both cats and dogs. Hemp oil does not contain THC, the marijuana component responsible for intoxication rather, it contains other hemp compounds like CBC oils and flavones, which are useful for making a cat feel relaxed and sleepy.
Due to these favorable properties of Hemp oil, it is used as a mild sedative for cats to help with stressful situations or behavior problems, as well as for treating joint pain and other symptoms in cats.
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