Nearly two decades of studies show the top reason dogs and cats are relinquished and euthanized in the US and Europe is unwanted behavior. Separation anxiety is reportedly one of the most common causes of behavior problems.
Understanding why pets display behavior issues and treating the problem are essential to keeping them out of shelters and with their humans. This article talks about separation anxiety including ways to help manage it.
The condition
Separation anxiety in pets has been compared to the human panic attack. When left alone, afflicted pets feel confused, insecure, and afraid. Fear and panic can be mild or severe and manifest as various unwanted behaviors.
A problem not just for dogs
Though separation anxiety is most common in dogs, it also affects some cats. Mild cases may be easy to miss in cats. Any sudden behavior changes in cats (or dogs) should be discussed with your veterinarian as they can also signal an underlying health concern.
Symptoms of separation anxiety
Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can be nearly as stressful for owners as they are for the animals.
- Destructive behaviors (chewing, digging, scratching)
- Excessive vocalization (barking, whining, howling, meowing, yowling)
- Over grooming/licking
- Escape attempts
- Obsessive pacing
- Inappropriate elimination (cats often soil their humans’ beds or floors nearby)
Behavior stemming from separation anxiety can also harm dogs and cats. They can cut their faces, noses, tongues, and paws; gouge their eyes; and break teeth and nails while trying to escape from crates, yards, and homes. Anxious pets may also overgroom or lick, causing painful hot spots.
Possible causes and contributors
Though any dog and cat can develop separation anxiety, research shows several possible contributors to separation anxiety in dogs and cats:
- Male dogs are more prone than females
- Female cats are more prone than males
- Separation from litter mates at a young age
- Lack of experiences outside of the home for puppies 5-10 months old
- Late-age adoption
- Animal shelter stays
- Living in apartments (dogs)
- Living in homes with no human children (dogs)
- Lack of a stimulating environment for cats
- Loss of another pet
- Can be triggered or made worse by changes or disruptions in household circumstances or routines (adding pets or people to household, moving residence, long vacations, starting a new job outside the home)
How to help pets with separation anxiety
Fortunately, separation anxiety is manageable. Pets with separation anxiety are simply seeking security.
It’s important to consider the individual pet’s needs when working to treat separation anxiety. Especially in severe cases, consulting an animal behaviorist who specializes in separation anxiety can be invaluable.
Important considerations when treating separation anxiety:
- Always avoid punishment as this is ineffective in modifying behavior and can exacerbate anxiety and fear
- Recording video while away helps capture specific behavior (including vocalization) and accurately measure improvements and backslides during training
- Train at the pet’s pace; progress made and retained depends on it
- Your veterinarian may prescribe medication in the beginning stages of behavior modification that can be tapered off as progress is made
Helping dogs
Begin with practicing brief absences. Before leaving, give your dog a high-value reward (piece of food or a treat) to establish a positive association with your absence. Step out and return almost immediately. Slowly increase the length of absences. Avoid long absences.
As you increase the length of time you’re gone, if your dog’s behavior worsens, shorten the length of absence until the behavior improves again. This can be a long process and requires a lot of patience, but consistency will pay off.
Whether or not this type of training is something you are able to commit to, here are other helpful tips to help with separation anxiety in dogs:
- Reduce the length of time dogs are left alone: get them accustomed to being left alone for small amounts of time more often
- Create and maintain a stable household routine including regular feeding times, walking times, bedtime routines, etc.
- If you must leave, take your dog with you whenever possible or have someone come and watch the dog to maintain the routine
- Provide plenty of physical exercise and mental stimulation
- Use synthetic pheromones
- Prevent separation anxiety by providing experiences, including human contact, outside the home between 5-10 months of age
- Avoid overly excited departures and arrivals; keep them calm and casual
Helping cats
There are many ways to help cats with separation anxiety. Some of those are similar to helping dogs.
- Provide an enriching environment that includes scratchers, places to perch, plenty of toys, places to view the outside, etc.
- When possible, practice leaving for short periods and increase absence lengths over time
- Perform leaving routines (put keys in pocket, open suitcase, etc.) well before actually leaving
- Practice leaving routines without leaving
- Have dedicated playtime with cats each day
- Leave a familiar television or radio channel on low volume when you’re away
- Use synthetic pheromones
- Hire a sitter for long absences such as vacations
Separation anxiety is stressful, scary, and often harmful for animals and too often results in dogs and cats losing their homes or lives. It can be stressful for owners who face uncomfortable choices when they feel options are limited. Fortunately, separation anxiety is manageable with time, patience, and consistency. First consult with a veterinarian who can rule out medical issues, prescribe medication when appropriate, and help owners with behavior modification tactics or resources.
References:
De Souza Machado D, Oliveira PMB, Machado JC, Ceballos MC, Sant’Anna AC. Identification of separation-related problems in domestic cats: A questionnaire survey. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(4):e0230999. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0230999
Kisley MA, Chung EJ, Levitt H. Investigating the Reasons behind Companion Animal Relinquishment: A Systematic Content Analysis of Shelter Records for Cats and Dogs, 2018–2023. Animals. 2024;14(17):2606. doi:10.3390/ani14172606
Miller DD, Staats SR, Partlo C, Rada K. Factors associated with the decision to surrender a pet to an animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 1996;209(4):738-742. doi:10.2460/javma.1996.209.04.738
Sargisson R. Canine separation anxiety: strategies for treatment and management. Veterinary Medicine Research and Reports. Published online October 1, 2014:143. doi:10.2147/vmrr.s60424
Storengen LM, Boge SCK, Strøm SJ, Løberg G, Lingaas F. A descriptive study of 215 dogs diagnosed with separation anxiety. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2014;159:82-89. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2014.07.006
Schwartz S. Separation anxiety syndrome in cats: 136 cases (1991–2000). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2002;220(7):1028-1033. doi:10.2460/javma.2002.220.1028