My cat is vocal, anxious, and nurses blankets. What's wrong?

It's possible Spirit may feel a bit anxious when you're gone. Cats can become clingy and exhibit the behaviors listed when they are feeling anxious. A good first step is always to schedule a vet checkup and rule out any possibility of illness that may be causing these behaviors as well. That said, if Spirit checks out healthy, there are a few things you can do to help. When you leave the house, playing a soothing talk show on TV or on the radio can help, as well as placing pheromone diffusers/calming collars on spirit to help her relax. You can also get her more used to you leaving by only leaving for a few minutes, then coming back. Make sure to not make a big deal out of the event when leaving, so she doesn't anticipate it and start to become anxious. A good play session to get her tired out before you leave can also help reduce anxiety as she'll likely just want to sleep while you're away. If the issue continues, or worsens, talking with a veterinary behaviorist may help as they can create a more tailored plan and see what's going on in-person.

Poor Hedj! I would talk to your vet about starting him on some anti-anxiety medications. That may help with the vocalization in the specific area of your home, and allow you to prevent him from accessing that area of the home without him freaking out. You can also use Feliway, which is a pheromone diffuser that helps cats with anxiety. You can use Sentry calming collar in conjunction with the pheromone diffuser. If Hedj gets very stressed out going to the vet, you can see if your vet does house calls, or you can see if there is a mobile vet in your area.

Some cats are just very loving and social. If he's now neutered he's likely not feeling the "urge" to be a father, but it could be that he just still likes cuddling and snuggling stuffed animals or even pets. If he really likes kittens or baby animals, looking into becoming a foster family for litters of kittens at your local shelter may help with his urge to nurture while helping give care to a litter until they can find a forever home. As long as he isn't being destructive or doesn't seem stressed out by it, I wouldn't be too worried. But if he seems stressed, painful or has any signs of illness, a vet checkup to rule out any issues is always a good idea.

Some cats, especially if they were feral or not handled as kittens, will never be social. You may want to discuss different methods of reducing anxiety with you veterinarian such as using feline pheromones, anti anxiety medication, and environmental changes such as tall cat trees, hiding spaces, and safe litter box placement. It is unlikely that she will ever improve dramatically, but you might notice some improvement with these techniques. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

First, I would have Link checked out by a vet. There could a medical reason behind this behavior, and he should have a health check done. If no medical reason is found, then the vet can discuss with you behavioral treatment options. Best of luck.

True separation anxiety is not horribly common in cats. But the signs would that your cat shows distress when left alone or separated from you (or other people she's attached to). You might be self-inflicted trauma, excessive vocalization, urinated or defecating inappropriate places, lack of appetite, withdraw, over grooming or (less commonly) destructive behaviors. She might be hyper focused on you when you are around or vocalize/follow you when you prepare to go. It's important to check for a medical reason for any of the symptoms you're seeing (for example, if there are litter box issues, it could be separation anxiety, or could be related to illness or cystitis or many other causes). Generally, videotaping what she does when you're not home is helpful in diagnosis, and then a full blood panel (CBC, blood chemistry, urinalysis, fecal test) and exam to check for medical issues. I hope that gives you some idea about if your kitty is effected and how to proceed! Good luck!

This is likely an anxiety behavior. She is likely "pacifying" herself when you aren't home. You could try to get some feliway diffusers and spray and use that for when you are gone. Feliway is a cat pheromone that is used for calming. It doesn't work on all cats but it may help. If not, you can talk to your vet about starting her on a anti-anxiety medicine when you leave town. I hope this helps!