Cats are very subtle sensitive creatures, and they may let their human servants know they are feeling stressed in odd ways -
Hiding up
Urinating in strange places - some anxious cats will wee in the bath or on the bed
Cystitis - straining to urinate, may have blood in urine (this can be an emergency situation, especially in male cats, please contact your vet for advice)
Stressy guts - diarrhoea or defecating in odd places
Overgrooming the belly - may indicate bladder pain (cystitis) or gut pain (IBS type pain)
Showing aggression to humans or other pets in the home
So how can us human servants help?
Keep your cat indoors once it is dark. Keep windows and doors shut with the curtains drawn, this will help reduce the noise.
Provide additional snuggle spots during firework season - the back of the wardrobe or the airing cupboard may be where your cat feels safest. Generally, the noises will be least scary in the middle of the house, away from doors and windows.
Encourage your cat to spend time here by providing high up comfy beds. Think about accessibility for older cats and create a series of steps or a carpeted ramp so they can access their chosen spot easily.
Put water and food in different corners of their chosen safe room, and a large litter tray nearby. If they are used to toileting outside, they may prefer soil or compost to bought cat litter.
Cat YouTube - yes it really is a thing! Lend your cat your phone with a long video of birds or squirrels with the audio on for them to watch while in their safe space.
Around the firework season Classic FM does special pet friendly sessions from 6pm.
Microchip - make sure your details are current just in case of escapes.
Remember, if you have a multi-cat household, each cat will choose their own safe space and will need their own set of resources.
Free roaming cats in the wild will use aromatic plants to help them cope with increased stress. The active constituents often act on brain chemistry to alleviate stress.
We can offer a selection of dried herbs as part of an Herb Garden. Good ones to include for alleviating stress are Chamomile Flowers, Valerian Root, Catnip leaf, Rosebuds or Rose Petals, Lavender, Licorice Root, Peppermint leaves. If you grow any of these herbs, freshly picked may be popular.
Sprinkle a generous pinch of each chosen herb on the four corners of an old bathmat or towel on the floor. Leave your cat to interact with the herbs as they choose - sniff, lick, taste, rub against, roll in or simply sit over. Roll the Herb Garden up to put away, do give your cat access to it every day for several hours. Refresh herbs as needed.
Some Essential oils can also be used to help calm cats, but care must be taken with selection of cat safe oils, never allow your cat to touch the bottles, and never use oils in a room without an escape route to fresh air.
Floral waters/hydrosols offer a safer option for cats - Try Rosewater, Valerian water, Frankincense water
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