Anxiety is a major and underdiagnosed welfare problem in domestic cats, manifesting in diverse behavioural signs that owners often misinterpret, with effective treatments now available to reduce feline suffering.
Cat anxiety causes genuine and persistent suffering that remains significantly underrecognised. The stoic nature of cats — evolved to conceal vulnerability as solitary hunters — means signs of anxiety are subtle: a cat that hides more, grooms excessively, or shows subtle facial tension is suffering even without dramatic vocalisation or visible distress. Psychogenic alopecia (over-grooming to baldness) indicates chronic anxiety that may have persisted for months or years unnoticed. Multi-cat household conflict is a particularly common anxiety driver — owners often don't recognise passive aggression (blocking access to resources, staring) as inter-cat bullying that creates chronic stress in subordinate cats. Veterinary visit anxiety causes acute suffering that owners may not observe — cats are typically highly stressed for transport and examination even when appearing "frozen" and cooperative. The welfare cost of untreated anxiety accumulates over a cat's long lifespan; effective treatment early significantly improves years of quality of life.