Cat Anxiety Medication: 9 Options to Consider
Cats often seem calm, cool, and collected (and aloof, for that matter). But they are not always so zen. Like people and dogs, cats can experience anxiety, often from a fearful or traumatic experience that happened in their first year of life.
Anxiety in cats, whether short- or long-term, can be debilitating and significantly reduce quality of life, so managing it effectively is essential.
Fortunately, there are many ways to manage cat anxiety, one of which is through medications. We’re going to walk you through cat anxiety medication options and give you some at-home tips to help lessen your cat’s anxiety.
Anxiety Relief for Cats: Why It’s Important
You may wonder why cats get anxious. Various experiences trigger anxiety in cats, including improper socialization as kittens, trauma, illness, pain, loud noises, and major life events (e.g., a new baby). Separation anxiety is another common form of anxiety in cats.
Symptoms of cat anxiety usually start to appear in young adulthood, between 1 and 3 years of age. They range from mild to severe and include those listed below:
- Hiding
- Staring
- Aggression
- Mood changes
- Dilated pupils
- Avoiding eye contact
- Increased breathing
- Increased vocalization
- Changes in appetite and weight
Left unmanaged, anxiety can wreak havoc on a cat’s quality of life and their interactions with you, making daily life difficult for you and your cat. Therefore, managing it is crucial to your cat living a full, happy, and healthy life.
Working with your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist can help you identify the exact cause of your cat’s anxiety and develop a personalized treatment plan to manage it effectively.
We stress the word “manage” because eliminating your cat’s anxiety is not a practical goal. Managing and reducing anxiety is achievable and can vastly improve your cat’s quality of life.
What Can I Give My Cat for Anxiety?
Before delving into specific anti-anxiety medications for cats, let’s first discuss the general available options.
Prescription medications: Prescription anxiety medications for cats typically come in pill form and are available only with a veterinary prescription. However, there are no FDA-approved anxiety medications for cats. The prescription medications are approved for use in people and are used “off-label” in cats.
Supplements: Cat anxiety supplements are commonly available over the counter and are added to your cat’s diet to help ease anxiety. They come in several formulations, including powders, drops, and chewable tablets.
Natural calming aids: Natural calming aids, such as pheromones (chemicals produced by the body), are also available over the counter and are a gentle way to help your cat feel calmer and less anxious.
Managing anxiety takes a multi-modal approach, using the options above and behavioral modification. With a thorough history of your cat’s anxiety and medical history, your veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist will develop the ideal anxiety management plan for your cat.
4 Anxiety-Reducing Supplements for Cats
Here are some supplements to manage cat anxiety. There are no reported side effects with those listed below. Consult your veterinarian before giving your cat one of these supplements.
VetriScience Composure Calming Supplement
This supplement is a chewable tablet formulated to help cats who get anxious in specific situations, including veterinary visits and thunderstorms. The chews contain reportedly calming ingredients, such as the amino acids tryptophan and L-theanine.
The short-acting supplement takes effect within 30 minutes and lasts about four hours. It does not cause drowsiness or undesirable behavior changes and can be given up to twice daily or as needed to reduce anxiety.
Rescue Remedy
Rescue Remedy comes in a dropper bottle and helps relieve stress in anxiety-inducing situations, such as fireworks and travel. These drops can also be given after a stressful event to help cats calm down.
It is a natural product that contains flower ingredients, including rock rose and cherry plum. Give your cat four drops by mouth, or add the drops to your cat’s water bowl, as needed. You can adjust the number of drops according to your cat’s stress and anxiety levels.
Anxitane
Anxitane is an L-theanine chewable tablet that helps cats who get anxious around unfamiliar people and pets, new smells, and other specific situations. It does not cause drowsiness.
Anxitane is not for cats with a history of separation anxiety, severe phobias, or aggression. It should be given as a half tablet twice daily or as needed.
Purina Calming Care
Purine Calming Care is a probiotic supplement for reducing cat anxiety. It contains a strain of probiotics (“good bacteria”) that reportedly promotes calmness. The supplement also promotes positive behaviors, such as playing.
Purina Calming Care is a powder. For cats, one packet should be given daily according to your veterinarian’s instructions.
Cat Anxiety Medication: 5 Prescription Options
Prescription medications for cat anxiety fit under several classifications of human anti-anxiety medications. They are ideal for cats with high levels of anxiety, who need more than supplements and behavioral modification to get their anxiety under control.
Always follow your veterinarian’s instructions for these medications. Here are a few prescription cat anxiety medication options:
Alprazolam (Xanax)
Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine. Benzodiazepines increase the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a brain chemical that promotes calmness. In cats, benzodiazepines are most useful when there’s a specific anxiety trigger, such as fireworks.
Alprazolam is short-acting and takes effect in about one to two hours. Side effects of alprazolam include drowsiness, increased appetite, and incoordination. It shouldn’t be used in cats with aggression because the medication could worsen the aggression.
Buspirone (Buspar)
Buspirone relieves anxiety in cats with urine-marking issues. It is an azapirone, a drug class that mimics the activity of serotonin, a “feel-good” chemical in the brain. Buspirone is given twice daily and can take up to eight weeks to take effect. Although buspirone increases loving behavior, it can cause nausea, dizziness, and decreased appetite.
Amitriptyline (Elavil)
Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), a form of antidepressant medication that relieves generalized anxiety in cats. TCAs increase serotonin and dopamine levels to improve and stabilize a cat’s mood. They are for long-term anxiety management and take effect in several weeks.
In addition to pill form, amitriptyline can be formulated as an oral liquid or lotion. It is given once or twice daily according to veterinarian instructions. Common side effects include drowsiness, appetite changes, and dry mouth.
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that increases serotonin levels and can take four to six weeks to take effect. It is given daily as a long-term medication to manage generalized anxiety. Side effects include appetite changes and digestive upset.
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Paroxetine is another SSRI. It can be used to treat moderate to severe generalized anxiety. Paroxetine takes about four to six weeks to take effect and is given once daily. This medication is less sedating than fluoxetine and stimulates appetite, potentially leading to weight gain. Other side effects include lethargy, infrequent grooming, and dry eye.
How to Help Cat Anxiety: Other Tips and Advice
Managing your cat’s anxiety requires patience, commitment, and consistency. The treatment plan may need to be adjusted according to how your cat responds.
In addition to cat anxiety medication and supplements, there are at-home strategies for effectively managing your cat’s anxiety:
Comfort your cat. Contrary to popular belief, comforting your cat when they’re anxious does not perpetuate their anxiety. Soothing your cat will help them feel safe and calm, reducing their anxiety.
Socialize your kitten early. The socialization window for kittens is 7 to 12 weeks of age. Exposing them to various situations, stimuli, and people will help them feel more comfortable and less anxious as they navigate their world.
Provide environmental enrichment. Environmental enrichment provides mental stimulation and physical exercise, which can keep anxiety at bay. Examples of environmental enrichment include cat trees, scratching posts, and food puzzle toys.
Play calming music. If your cat has separation anxiety, playing calming music while you’re gone can soothe your cat’s nerves and help reduce their anxiety.
