Listen: The cats of Covid

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted our day-to-day lives in many different ways, but the overarching affect it has had on our mental health and emotions has been a universal thing we have all experienced as we deal with being separated from loved ones, financial worries, and the threat of the virus itself.

Though we are not alone in experiencing this increase in anxiety, stress and unease – our pet cats have been feeling this too.

With a disrupted daily routine and their human companions being around the house more often, there’s little wonder that cats too have been displaying signs of agitation and angst. More than half of UK cat owners (51%) have noticed a change in their cat’s behaviour during lockdown – according to new research from CEVA Animal Health – with that figure rising to two thirds of cat owners (66%) in London.

Some of the most common behaviours people associate with stress and anxiety in their cat is hiding (66%), a change in appetite (58%) and urinating or spraying inside the house (54%). Cat owners have reported a significant increase in their cat displaying these stress-related behaviours lately.

Aston spoke to Charlotte Carr, pet behaviourist to explain what behaviour signals you should pick up on that signal your cat’s stress, and offered her expert advice on what you can do to help comfort and calm your cat steps you can take to help ease your cat’s anxiety.

Photo by Erik-Jan Leusink on Unsplash