The impact of lockdown on our cats

For most of us, life changed dramatically during the lockdown, which also had a huge impact on the life of our cats. Before lockdown began our felines had for most day the house to themselves. Then overnight, their predictable life changed.

How The Lockdown Affected Our Cats

Cat parents have reported all kinds of changes in their pet’s behavior. While some cats seem to enjoy the extra attention, others have been stressed and confused.

Aggressive cats

Not all cats seem to enjoy all this extra attention from owners. Some parents have noticed that their cats became increasingly aggressive and sometimes angry with them. Some of them attack their legs when passing by or even pounce on other pets.

Your cat needs freedom and is frustrated by the change in his routine. In this situation make sure that your cat has control. You can leave him on his own in a room. Don’t seek lots of attention and let him make the first move and approach you for some social interactions.

Sticky cats

While some cats seem to be annoyed by all these changes, others won’t let their humans out of their sight. When you work from home your cat might think that you‘re available the whole day.

These cats might develop behavior that never did before. Some of them want to touch you all the time, sit on your lap, jump on your desk while working or get really upset when you leave the house. To prevent any issues try leaving your cat alone in a room for 1-2 minutes. Try to gradually increase this amount of time building up from minutes to hours. Your cat will start feeling comfortable about spending time alone. Don’t forget to provide interactive toys, scratching posts, and beds for mental stimulation and exercise.

The end of the lockdown

So now, what’s going to happen when the lockdown is over? Going back to work will be hard for us and for our cats that will have to adapt to the new circumstances again. Here are some tips that will help you prepare your cat when this time comes:

• Reduce gradually the amount of time you spend with your cat
• Provide lots of interactive games, scratching posts, and puzzles that will keep him occupied while you’re not at home.
• Gently adjust your cat’s routine, including feeding and playing time to match your working schedule.
• Make sure to supply comfortable and safe hiding and sleeping places for relaxation and resting.

As life gradually returns to normality, and our schedule gets busier try to spend quality time with your cat and let the heritage of the lockdown be the stronger bond and relationship with him. The impact of lockdown on our cats

Photo: Drew Hays