Sometimes, you can’t take the stress out of a cat’s environment. If seeing other animals outside the window is upsetting your cat, you can close the shades or not allow your cat into rooms with windows facing the street. However, if the stressor is something like a new pet or a new baby, you can’t really remove the source! In cases where you can’t remove the source of the stress, you can try desensitization and counterconditioning. Desensitization is exposing the animal gradually to the source of stress. Start with versions that are so mild that they don’t provoke anxiety — … Continue reading →