Cats Get Separation Anxiety, Too

WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) — This is a minor secret from your favorite feline: Even if he functions aloof when you happen to be around, he definitely doesn’t like it when you happen to be away.

Turns out that additional than 1 in ten felines have separation issues, in accordance to a shocking new study out of Brazil.

Numerous research have investigated separation challenges in puppies, but none have looked at cats. While it’s generally considered that cats are impartial and good staying on their possess for prolonged periods, they are basically incredibly social creatures who acquire bonds with their owners, scientists report.

They questioned one hundred thirty men and women to solution issues for each cat in their house, resulting in 223 concluded questionnaires.

The responses exposed that that 13.five% of the cats (30 out of 223) satisfied at least a person benchmark for separation nervousness — with damaging habits the most prevalent, described in 20 of the 30 cats.

Other separation-connected challenges involved: extreme vocalization (19 cats) inappropriate urination (18) melancholy-apathy (sixteen) aggressiveness or agitation and nervousness (11 each) and inappropriate defecation (7 cats).

The cats with separation nervousness lived with 18- to 35-calendar year-olds and didn’t have toys or another animal to enjoy with.

The study was revealed April 15 in the journal PLoS A person.

Direct researcher Daiana de Souza Machado, of Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora in Sao Paulo, and colleagues explained the results are a setting up stage. They are restricted by owners’ interpretation of cats’ actions in their absence and need to have to be verified by immediate observation, she added in a journal information launch.

For instance, scratching on surfaces is standard in cats, even though some owners may think about it damaging.

But the study is a setting up stage and suggests that certain actions, these types of as delivering toys, could aid cats cope with separation issues.

— Robert Preidt

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Source: PLoS A person, information launch, April 15, 2020