Pharmacological treatment of feline anxiety, fear, and behavioral disorders represents an important welfare tool that is often underutilized, leaving many cats suffering from manageable conditions.
The reluctance to medicate cats for behavioral and anxiety problems partly reflects owner stigma about psychiatric medication and partly reflects veterinary underdiagnosis of feline anxiety disorders. Cats living with unaddressed chronic anxiety experience sustained suffering that medication could substantially relieve. The welfare case for appropriate pharmacological treatment is strong: a cat whose anxiety is adequately managed experiences better quality of life, fewer chronic stress-related health problems, and improved social interactions. Treatment decisions should be made in consultation with veterinary behaviorists who can guide medication selection and monitoring.