Headed back to work: How to Help Your Cat Adjust

Help your cat adjust to life without you around again

During the shutdown, our cats had to adjust to us being home and disrupting their schedules. Cats that had previously been alone all day were suddenly chiming in on conference calls. Even my brother had telemedicine appointments with a patient when all of a sudden, the patient’s cat would appear on camera! After nearly two months, many cats are happy to have us home all the time and enjoy the extra attention. How do we start the adjustment period for them so they won’t experience separation anxiety and bad behavior? 

Let’s start with a few easy tips to ease this transition to be as painless as possible for both of you.

• Ease into it. Start by taking shorter trips at first. Run to the grocery store or pick up a half shift before heading back into your normal schedule. Ease into taking longer trips will help you and your cat adjust back to normal.
• Leave them someone to talk to. Leaving music or TV on is a good way for cats to hear human voices and retain some sense of calm and familiarity, even if it isn’t our voice. This should be a much less jarring transition. Some cats are prone to destruction or grumpiness, so this is way better than leaving them in silence and stressing them completely. 
• Don’t make a scene. When you leave, just slowly go and don’t make a big production out of saying goodbyes. Being loud or frantic can send your cat into a state of frenzy right at the start of the day. Leaving quietly and quickly will hopefully leave them in the blissful slumber they were in and they won’t notice you are gone at all. 
• Bribe them. A little old-fashioned bribe can go a long way. Upon returning, give your cat some treats, love, and attention. This will help ease any stress that might’ve occurred while you were gone and make them happy to see you and not stay upset at you. In other words, bribe them and bribe them again! 
• Occupy their time. Leave their favorite toys out and about so that when you are gone, they have things to occupy their time and energy. Cats can be destructive when alone and stressed, but toys can help them entertain themselves and burn off some pent up energy. 
• Give them a taste of the wild. Be sure to have a window open for views and fresh air. Of course, only do this if you have screens and trust your cat to stay put! Adding a bird-feeder can really help distract cats and keep them busy for a long time. If you are unable to have a feeder, leaving a cat TV or YouTube channel with bird and wildlife animals on can be wonderful entertainment.

While most of us are transitioning back to the working world, starting these tips now can ease the stress for our cats before behavioral problems arise. There’s nothing better than coming home to a happy and relaxed that’s excited to greet you. 

However, if separation anxiety OR destructive behavior occurs, consider cat daycare to help your cat control the loneliness and anxiety of missing you. Whether it is for a short time or regular basis, cat daycare can give the attention and relief that some cats need from being alone.