by Nomi Berger
 
Daylight Saving Time officially begins on March 10th at 2:00 AM.
 
While thankfully close to the official start of spring, many people as well as their pets can find “springing forward” and losing that hour of purr-ecious sleep both disorienting and disturbing.
 
Cats, like all animals, are creatures of habit, and unlike people, they don’t have to check a watch or a clock in order to schedule their day. Blessed with their own internal, biological clock, known as the circadian rhythm, they know exactly when to eat and nap, exercise and sleep.
 
When this rhythm is suddenly disrupted by their owners’ waking up early or returning home from work while they’re still taking their afternoon nap, they can become extremely anxious.
 
Consider three of the ways the start of Daylight Saving Time may affect your own feline friend.
 
Feeding Time: If your cat is used to being fed at the same time every day, when her food unexpectedly arrives before she’s hungry, this early meal might throw off her digestive cycle. She may act out rambunctiously, turn up her nose and stalk off or gulp down her food then meow for more out of habit when her usual feeding time comes around.
 
Medication Time: If your cat is diabetic and receives her medication at a certain time of day, getting it early might be a shock to her system. While an hour usually shouldn’t make much of a difference -- depending on her needs – medicating her early can cause a change in her energy level as her body adjusts to the new insulin schedule. Other medications, such as those for heart failure, can cause problems if they’re administered too early.
 
Together Time: Although many cats are extremely independent and easily able to amuse themselves on their own, others are far more social and rely heavily on more consistent interaction with their owners. If your cat is one of these, used to you both waking up and leaving home at a certain hour, those vital 60 minutes of “lost” together time can cause her undue anxiety.
 
The best way of reducing the negative effects of “springing forward” on your cat is to prepare for the time switch a few weeks early and alter your schedule by a few minutes each day. This gradual change is far less noticeable and far less disruptive than changing everything by an hour all at once.
 
Begin by serving your cat’s meal(s) a few minutes earlier each day. Speak with your vet about the safest way of changing the time(s) she receives any and all of her medications. Leave for work a few minutes earlier each day to acclimate her to your leaving home before the usual time. But most importantly, remain vigilant and be sensitive to any shift in her mood. If she seems anxious or nervous, some extra chin scratches and snuggles may be just what she needs!
 
Tick tock.

by Nomi Berger
 
Problems affecting a cat’s lower urinary tract may prevent the bladder from emptying correctly or may even cause a fatal blockage of the urethra, the tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the cat’s body.
 
All too often, the cause is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). Symptoms include frequent or painful urination, bloody urine and frequent licking of the urinary opening. Essential in treating FLUTD is first determining the cause of it, which may include such endocrine diseases as hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus as well as bladder stones, urinary tract blockages, infection or cancer. If the cause can’t be determined, the cat is considered to have cystitis (inflammation of the bladder).
 
The causes of FLUTD include: stones, crystals or accumulated debris in the bladder or urethra; a urethral plug (accumulated debris from urine); bladder inflammation or infection; incontinence from excessive water drinking or weak bladder; injury to, or tumor in the urinary tract; stress; spinal cord problems and a congenital abnormality. Rarely seen in cats younger than a year, the average age is typically four years, with males being more prone to urethral blockages due to their narrower urethras.
 
Signs your cat is having problems with his/her urinary tract include: the inability to urinate or passing only a small amount of urine; bloody or cloudy urine; loss of bladder control and/or dribbling urine; increased frequency of urination or visits to the litter box; straining and/or crying out in pain when attempting to pass urine; prolonged squatting in the litter box; fear/avoidance of the litter box and soiling in inappropriate places; constant licking of the urinary opening; a strong odor of ammonia in the urine; lethargy; vomiting; increased water consumption, and a hard, distended abdomen.
 
If your kitty is either straining to urinate or crying out in pain, see your veterinarian immediately. This could be a medical emergency!
 
To diagnose a lower urinary tract problem, your vet should perform a complete physical examination that includes a urinalysis, urine culture and blood work, and if necessary, x-rays and/or an ultrasound.
 
Depending on the ultimate diagnosis, your vet may recommend one or more of the following courses of action: antibiotics or other medications, dietary changes, increase in water intake and urinary acidifiers; aids in expelling any small stones through the urethra; surgery to remove bladder stones or a tumor or to correct a congenital abnormality; a urinary catheter or surgery to remove a urethral blockage in male cats, and fluid therapy.
 
If left untreated, urinary problems can cause a partial or complete obstruction of the urethra. This, in turn, can quickly lead to kidney failure and/or rupture of the bladder, which can prove fatal.
 
 

by Nomi Berger
 
The obvious answer to every cat owner’s question is simple: It’s fun.
 
Not only that, but the higher the places are the better. And yet, as amusing as it may seem – at first – this behavior can be both annoying and dangerous.
 
Extremely adept at using their paws when they play, cats will bat at and paw at some objects and by twisting their paws slightly, hook others and toss them into the air. Exceedingly curious and endlessly attracted to rapid movement, they are expert “fly catchers” and acrobats, even turning somersaults in the air as they try to catch the feather at the end of a fishing-pole toy.
 
From tables and desks to bookshelves and mantles, a cat’s joy at knocking things over may, according to some animal behaviorists, be attributed to several factors, including play-related and exploratory behaviors. Consider this: A cat paws at an object to see if it moves or how it moves and inadvertently knocks it off a desk. Once she sees the object fall, she may be attracted to its speed, the sound it makes hitting the floor or even the attention she receives from her owner.
 
Why the latter? Because whatever hits the floor elicits an immediate response as the owner seeks out the source of the sound. Some clever cats have learned to capture their owner’s attention in precisely this way: the louder the noise, the faster their owner’s response time. For others, simply watching the object fall and chasing after it on the floor is reward enough. But if that object is glass, she can injure her paws when she jumps to the floor and either lands on or walks through the glass shards.
 
To stop this behavior from disrupting your household while keeping your kitty safe, don’t leave any objects light enough to be batted around and knocked over on any surfaces accessible to her. This is especially true of fragile or irreplaceable items. If the problem is limited to a single room, try closing the door and keeping kitty out. If that’s not feasible, one option is to apply double-sided sticky tape to the surface(s) in question. When your cat jumps onto a table, e.g., her paws will stick slightly to the tape and the unpleasant sensation should deter her from jumping onto it again. But the most successful solution lies in your preventing her from jumping onto the table in the first place.
 
What does this entail? If you find your cat on the table, instead of shouting at her or chasing her away, make a noise to get her attention and redirect her to a more appropriate behavior such as chasing after a toy or a laser dot. You can also use clicker training to teach her tricks, thereby keeping her mentally engaged and out of trouble. Another way to redirect your cat’s attention is to give her a “job.” Use multiple puzzle toys and have her “work” for some of her food, while remembering that cats in the wild may spend between 40 and 60 percent of their time actually hunting for food.  
 
If, however, none of these techniques work, speak to your veterinarian who may refer you to an animal behavior specialist.
 

by Nomi Berger
 
Walking your indoor cat on a leash not only allows her safe access to the outdoors, but it also provides her with physical exercise and mental stimulation. Whereas some indoor cats much prefer to remain where they are, still others are “hot to trot.”
 
If your indoor cat is curious and confident, enthusiastic and energetic, she may be a purr-ect candidate for a leashed walk. Before you begin, however, make certain that she’s current on all shots, flea and tick treatments. Ensure that she’s micro-chipped and that your contact information is up to date. Buy her a collar with an ID tag that clearly states she’s an indoor cat and that if she gets lost she should be returned home when found.
 
Next comes the harness. A harness is exceptionally secure and will keep your kitty safe and close to you even if she attempts to dart about or, worse, run away. Due to the increased popularity of cats being walked on leashes, there is now an ever-increasing assortment of styles, colors and patterns from which to choose.
 
Even better and, best of all, more comfortable than a harness, is a specially designed walking vest. Durable, adjustable and easy to put on, it’s an especially good choice for regular walkers and/or stronger, more motivated and determined cats.
 
Last but not least is a lightweight cat leash. Avoid both dog leashes and retractable leashes since they’re too heavy for cats. While many cat harnesses already come with a leash, other options are bungee leashes that will give your cat a little more range once you’re outside and at ease.
 
Now begins the process of training your cat. Begin by allowing her to get used to wearing a harness inside – a big step since indoor cats don’t normally wear collars AND harnesses. Start slowly, leaving the harness out on the floor with some treats on it to create a positive association for her and entice her to take the treats while smelling the harness itself.
 
After a few days, put the harness on your cat and promptly provide her with soothing pets and more of those treats. If she’s visibly uncomfortable, however, take the harness off immediately. Then, slowly and patiently, day by day, increase the amount of time she spends in the harness until she no longer minds it. And always remember to highlight the experience by petting her, playing with her, and providing her with treats to ensure that she associates “harness time” with happy times.
 
Once the harness has been well worn in, attach the leash to it and repeat the same process as above. Then as soon as your cat’s comfortable, bring her outside to a safe space -- a patio, deck or any enclosed area where she’s protected from other people and/or other animals. Slowly venture further afield, remembering to continually reward her with loving pets and tasty treats to assure her of the fun that awaits her once she’s well and truly outside. Remember too that any negative experience can set the entire process back, so pay close attention to your surroundings and to any unanticipated threat that may either spook or harm your cat.
 
Cat walks aren’t like dog walks. You will, in all likelihood, stay close to home, and your walk will (unless your kitty is particularly athletic and adventurous) be more of a meander. A chance for your purr-ecious puss to slowly and satisfyingly explore all of the various sights and smells previously unknown to her. A chance for you to watch the world through her eyes while seeing it through your own in an entirely new way. A chance for the two of you to bond more closely and more deeply. What could paws-ibly be better than that?

by Nomi Berger
 
How adept are you at reading your kitty’s signals?
 
Let’s start with her eyes. In a standoff between two opposing cats, the defender’s pupils will be dilated to widen her peripheral vision, giving her an advantage in anticipating an attack. On the other hand, the aggressor’s pupils will narrow to allow her better depth perception -- an advantage in judging where to attack. Aside from indicating fear, a cat’s pupils will also dilate in dim surroundings to allow as much light as possible to enter her eyes.
 
Perhaps the most wonderful signal, most often missed by even the most observant cat owner, is the sweetly seductive slow eye blink. Slow eye blinking is a very powerful and reassuring signal commonly used between cats when they’re sitting or lying in a hunched-up, sphinx-like position. It’s also a technique used by animal behaviorists to relax both house cats and feral cats by allowing them to interpret this human’s signal as: “I’m not a threat to you.” And for cat-crazy cat owners, it’s the ideal way to say, “I love you”, to their own favorite feline(s).
 
A continuous stare, however, has the opposite effect on cats. It’s threatening and unsettling and is used effectively as a way of maintaining their territorial distance. This is why a cat, upon entering a roomful of strangers -- all but one of them committed cat lovers – will approach the “non-cat lover”, the only person not staring at her.
 
Next, consider her ears. Again, in a standoff between two opposing cats, the defender’s ears will lie down flat against her head for protection. The one whose ears are lying flat -- with a twist, so that the tips of the backs of both ears are visible from the front -- is the aggressor. Confident and curious cats’ ears point forward as a way of listening for sounds in front of them. Cats either hunting prey or playing will also keep their ears pointing forward to collect as much auditory information as possible in order to execute a successful “pounce.”
 
Last is her tail. When a cat’s tail is erect along its entire length, it’s a gesture of greeting to another cat or an invitation to a friendly human for some quality “contact” rubbing. When her tail is vertical in the air with the inevitable “question mark”, it indicates that she’s happy and relaxed in her environment. It can also be a silent signal for food. When a seated cat’s tail flicks back and forth, it often shows her irritation and/or insecurity about what’s going to happen next. 
 
A tail held down while her rump is elevated belongs to an aggressive cat standing sideways near another cat. An arched, fluffed-up tail and an arched back (this pose is familiarly called the “Halloween cat”) shows that she’s torn between being aggressive or defensive. A fluffed tail positioned either straight out or straight down indicates she’s chosen to move towards aggression. Ironically, all of these tail positions can be observed when two kittens engage in play fighting.
 
Eyes, ears, tail. Now it’s up to you. M-e-o-w!

by Nomi Berger

The nose knows! And so it is with cats who rely on their noses to more fully comprehend the world around them. They detect smells as well as sense pheromones (chemicals produced and released by other cats) through their olfactory systems. For indoor cats in particular, understanding and appreciating the importance of their highly developed sense of smell can greatly enrich their environment, which, in turn, makes them happier cats.
 
Catnip has long been considered the “go to” plant of choice of household cats, attracted as they are to its odor – more than its taste -- to both improve their welfare and make their lives more “interesting.” They typically respond to catnip by sniffing, licking and biting it, shaking or rubbing their heads, chins or cheeks against it, rolling over in it, drooling, and even kicking at the fabric enclosing it with their hind feet. This so-called “catnip response” has often been described by those witnessing it as euphoric.
 
And yet, catnip isn’t the only plant favored by felines. Some are also attracted to silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and Valerian root – all available in various forms. This is fortunate because one in three domestic cats do NOT respond to catnip. Some even appear to be genetically incapable of “sensing” it, and although the allure of catnip has been well documented, one recent study involving 100 cats investigated their responses to catnip and these three less familiar plants.
 
Of the 100 cats studied, 94 percent showed a “catnip response” to at least one of the four plants. Seventy-nine percent responded to silver vine, 68 percent responded to catnip, 53 percent responded to Tatarian honeysuckle, and 47 percent responded to Valerian root. Even more interesting was the fact that 24 percent of the cats responded to all four plants.
 
And so, despite the popular reputation of catnip, more cats – at least in this study – gave a resounding “paws up” to silver vine instead. This response held true for female and male cats, friendly and shy cats, and cats of all ages, although the response to catnip was milder among older cats. In fact, the older cats’ response to silver vine was far more intense than their response to catnip.
 
If your kitty has recently been turning up her nose and turning tail at the sight and the scent of catnip, consider substituting one of the other materials in its place, starting with silver vine. The most effective way to determine which scent truly tickles her feline fancy is by simply “asking” her. How?
 
After first checking with your vet as to the safety of silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and Valerian root, begin by placing a stick of silver vine inside a closed sock, leave it out where she can easily find it, supervise her closely, and monitor her response carefully. (This is especially important if yours is a multiple-cat household).
 
Be aware of the fact that this new scent has the potential to make your cat more excited and excitable for a more extended period of time. If she seems to be enjoying it, give her plenty of room and don’t try petting, stroking or playing with her until she seems sated, happily tired and perfectly relaxed. Eureka! Success! You’ve struck kitty gold.
 
Since a cat’s interest in even the most satisfying of scents fades over time, remove any samples she’s played with as soon as you sense her growing bored, and offer them again to her at a later date. But if the bloom is already off the so-called rose, there are those two remaining scents in your cat-contenting arsenal – Tatarian honeysuckle and Valerian root.
 
Then there’s another scenario altogether. Your cat may be totally unaffected – or worse – repelled by the scent of the silver vine, in which case, it should be removed quickly, and a day or two allowed to pass before moving on to the Tatarian honeysuckle in the hope of achieving a better result. If not, try once more, this time with the Valerian root. But if the result is the same, and the “scent” sampling only stresses her out, stop the sampling process immediately.
 
For reasons yet unknown, some cats simply aren’t interested in scents – no matter the source. If yours is one of those finicky felines, fret not, there are many other avenues to explore until she finally finds one that sets her purr-o-meter humming.
 

by Nomi Berger
 
While felines can be finicky about the food they eat, responsible owners can both improve their pets’ nutritional intake and prevent them from joining the estimated 58 percent of American cats who are overweight or obese.
 
1. Never free-feed your cat. The practice of keeping her bowl filled all the time is an open-ended invitation to eat and eat and eat. This can eventually lead to obesity and diabetes. The best way to feed her is by measuring her food and scheduling several mealtimes per day or by using food puzzles instead – after first asking your vet how much food she should be eating.
 
2. Never put your cat on a vegan diet. As an obligate carnivore, her digestive tract isn’t designed for digesting non-meat food, and to maintain her overall health, she must have meat. Cats also require significantly more protein in their diets than either dogs or people.
 
3. Keep her eating environment calm. If she’s snubbing her food bowl, and health issues aren’t the cause, stress may be the culprit. She may feel threatened by other pets in your home, disturbed by the noise of certain appliances, or rattled by too many people walking past while she eats. Set her food bowl down in a quiet place away from all distractions to allow her to eat undisturbed.
 
4. Don’t give her too many treats. While cat treats may be small in size, they’re loaded with calories, and the consumption of so many extra calories can lead to weight gain and obesity. If your kitty expects or “demands” a treat, be clever – and creative -- about it. Make her “work” for her treat by throwing it across the room or hiding it inside a food puzzle. Or better still, redirect her begging behavior to another activity like an interactive game or a lengthy petting session.
 
5. Don’t let her drink milk. Familiar images of kitties lapping up milk from a saucer may have seemed both appealing and adorable in the past, but milk isn’t healthy for cats. Like people, some cats are lactose intolerant and have trouble digesting milk. Another negative: milk is rich in calories and could cause your kitty to gain weight.
 
6. See that her food fits her life stage and lifestyle. When feeding your cat, you must take into account both her age and her activity level. If she’s a kitten, she should be introduced slowly to a variety of foods so that she doesn’t grow up to be a picky eater. If she’s a senior, you must monitor her waistline since some older cats find it difficult to keep weight on. You must also ensure that she’s drinking enough water. As always, though, it’s essential to first speak with your vet about the best diet plan for your cat based on her age, health and body condition.
 
7. Don’t alter her diet too quickly. Slow and steady are the ultimate keys to success. It may seem like a good idea to help your cat lose weight by immediately reducing the amount of food she consumes and/or changing the food itself. But drastically reducing the amount of food she eats can lead to hepatic lipidosis, a potentially fatal liver condition, while sudden changes in her food can cause vomiting and/or diarrhea. If you’re intent on changing her diet, always do it gradually and in consultation with your vet.

by Nomi Berger
 
Does your cat play constantly and contentedly with toilet paper? Does she unroll it sheet by sheet from its cardboard tube, bat it around, drag it from room to room and quite literally “paper” your home in streamers?
 
If so, any attention you give her for playing with toilet paper as though it were a toy --whether negative or positive – will, in all likelihood encourage her to continue. Why, then does a cat play with toilet paper in the first place? She may be acting on her instinct to hunt, imitating your own actions in the bathroom or simply trying to keep herself occupied. Regardless of her motivation, the solution is both prevention and redirection – shifting her focus away from the toilet paper towards more acceptable, alternative behaviors.
 
Simply shutting the door when you’re not around makes the bathroom(s) off-limits to your cat. A toilet paper holder that completely covers the roll can be a useful alternative if it’s difficult to keep the bathroom door(s) closed all the time.
 
Provide more creative outlets for your cat’s energy and reward her when she chooses them. Because of their instinctual desire to hunt, cats enjoy playing with interactive toys that can be “ripped” and “pulled apart” -- mimicking the movements they make when killing and devouring their prey in the wild. Food puzzles are an excellent option. There is a wide range of kitty food puzzles designed to provide them with the hunting experience they crave. Movable puzzles whose contents are dislodged or removed by your cat’s paws are particularly effective.
 
Begin with easy-to-access food puzzles, and as your cat learns how to make them work, increase the degree of difficulty. To make them even more enticing and exciting, fill them with kibble or treats.
 
To encourage her exploratory behavior, hide the food puzzles, some of her most highly prized toys and tiny boxes of cat grass throughout your home, targeting those areas she’s especially fond of such as perches and climbing structures. Rotate them from time to time to keep her “hunts” interesting and to keep her on her paws.
 
When you’re not at home, keep her entertained – and hopefully away from attacking the toilet paper – by purchasing and using toys with remote-control options, motion-sensor toys, timed toys and/or hanging toys designed for being batted about.
 
Provided your cat doesn’t EAT paper, consider offering her a designated alternative that she can claw up and bed down in, such as a cardboard box filled with shredded or crumpled up paper or newspaper. And always ensure that a scratching post or two is placed in easily accessible areas.
 
Whenever your cat plays with the right toys or engages in the appropriate activities, reward and reinforce her paws-itive behavior with treats, petting and praise. If, however, you catch her “red pawed” in the act of toying with the toilet paper, calmly redirect her attention, and clean up the “crime scene” once she’s safely out of sight. Punishing her may not only reinforce this unwanted behavior but cause increased tension in your relationship.
 
Last but most importantly, if your cat IS eating the toilet paper, speak to your vet or seek help from a certified animal behaviorist.

by Nomi Berger

For those pondering the how and why of that phenomenon known as purring, numerous theories abound.
 
As for how: Most experts now believe that purrs are created by the laryngeal and diaphragmatic muscles in combination with a neural oscillator in the brain. A message from the neural oscillator to the laryngeal muscles causes them to vibrate and this movement controls the amount of air passing through. Purring occurs during inhalation and exhalation. Some purrs are so low, they’re felt more than heard, while others are so loud, they can be heard from across the room.
 
As for why, paw-lease peruse the following:
 
1. Newborn kittens and their moms purr to stay safe.
 
Purring is essential to the survival of newborn kittens. Welcomed into the world by the soft vibrations of their mother’s purrs, they may be blind and deaf, but they can feel vibrations. Like homing devices, these purrs guide the newborns to the protective warmth of their mother’s body and to their first meals.
 
Kittens start communicating through purrs to their mother and other siblings when they’re two days old. Unable to meow while they nurse, they manifest their contentment instead by purring, and their mom will purr comfortingly back at them.
 
Springing from the primal need for survival in the wild, the vibrations of a vulnerable mother cat’s purrs when she’s giving birth are less likely than cries or other vocalizations to attract the attention of hungry predators. Purring also releases endorphins, reducing her pain while simultaneously reassuring her newborns.
 
2. Cats purr when they crave attention.
 
Since adoring cat parents lavish their cats with additional cuddles and pets when they purr, cats will often begin to purr when they “want” something – from affection and playtime to food and treats.
 
Luckily, however, theirs is a mutual admiration society! The clever kitties’ sweet, relaxing sounds boost their owners’ moods and lower their blood pressure.
 
3. Cats purr when stressed, in pain or sick because it has healing powers.
 
Studies have found that purrs oscillate at a low frequency of 25 to 150 HZ. This frequency promotes bone healing and eases muscle pain. Clinical trials of people receiving ultrasound treatments have shown that low-frequency intensity ultrasound accelerates the healing of fractures.
 
Some reports also show that cats heal faster than animals who don’t purr because of the endorphins their purring releases – much like those released by a mother cat in labor.
 
4. Cats purr as a form of low-key exercise.
 
Cats are famous for conserving their energy by lounging and napping. And since they purr while they rest, the vibrations from those purrs help to increase the density of their bones. This in turn keeps their bones healthy and strong and prepped for the next opportunity to pounce on their prey – whether it’s another playful kitty or a bouncing laser dot, the feather on a dancing wand toy or their loving owners’ open laps.

by Nomi Berger
 
Are you surprised when you return home to find that your cat has urinated on your sofa or shredded your favorite shirt? Are you receiving complaints from your neighbors that she yowls or mewls all day? Although an underlying medical condition may be responsible for some of these behaviors, the most likely culprit is separation anxiety.
 
While many cat owners don’t associate cats with separation anxiety, a recent study by researchers at Oregon State University and Monmouth University found that when cats were given a choice between food, human companionship, scent and toys, half of them chose human companionship and only 37 percent chose food.
 
Orphaned kittens or those weaned too early from their mothers are the ones most prone to developing separation anxiety. A divorce, the death of an owner or some other abrupt change in the household and the familiar rhythm of its regular routine may also trigger separation anxiety, particularly in senior cats.
 
Cats with separation anxiety may express apprehension over their owners’ unexplained absence (ranging from a medical emergency to a vacation with advance care arrangements made) in highly destructive and/or annoying ways. Some of these “acting out” behaviors include scratching the furniture, pacing, crying, fighting with the other cats, refusing to eat and compulsively grooming themselves -- licking or chewing at their fur until they create large bald patches. While others sulk or become depressed, some begin urinating and/or defecating outside their litter boxes or spraying urine on their owners’ bed and/or clothing.
 
The reason for spraying is simple: spreading her scent around may actually help an anxious cat feel more secure. Mixing her odor with that of her cherished and absent owner is a way to feel closer to her owner.
 
If yours is an anxious and clingy kitty, don’t despair, there are ways to reduce her anxiety and improve her quality of life. The first step is to visit your vet to rule out any underlying health conditions that may be causing the problem. If your vet concludes that your cat does indeed have separation anxiety, consider the following ways to make her more comfortable and less fearful when you’re away from home.
 
Enrich her environment. Food puzzles and other interactive toys can engage your cat’s brain and help take her mind off the fact that you’re not there. Having the food released from a puzzle toy will both challenge her intelligence and keep her constructively occupied.
 
To reduce the risk of her growing bored, rotate her favorite interactive toys, bringing out the best ones only when you’re ready to leave.
 
Screen a nature DVD featuring a variety of birds, squirrels, and fish. Their quick movements and high-pitched noises should keep your cat intrigued and entertained for hours. Alternatively, set up a window perch with a view of a bird feeder outside or a wall perch with a view of an appropriately secure aquarium inside that she can watch but not access.
 
Plug in a diffuser that emits feline pheromones. They mimic the natural pheromones produced by a mother cat and appear to have a soothing effect on some anxious cats.
 
Because cats so dislike change, set up and stick to – as much as possible -- a fixed schedule of feeding and playing with yours at the same times each day to help relieve some of her stress.
 
In severe cases of separation anxiety, however, consider consulting a veterinary behaviorist whose trained observations may give new insight into your cat’s behavior. And, when necessary, your vet can prescribe an anti-anxiety medication to help her stay calm in your absence.