How can I help my cat deal with what appears to be separation anxiety?

You need to give him time to recover. He is telling you that you matter to him and you are his security the only way that he knows how.

Just reassure him by speaking softly to him and continue to go about your business.

@marinelife oh, of course. I know it is going to take time for him to adjust. I just don’t want to unintentionally reinforce the meowing by rewarding it somehow. I’m not sure what the happy medium is. My instinct is to baby the hell out of him, but I know that if I do that, I could cement this constant meowing habit.

To me, his behavior sounds normal for what he has been through. He is most likely coming to terms with the fact that he is home.

I don’t think the meowing will last forever. He just needs reassurance that he won’t become lost or unfed again.

:(Give him a cuddle & kiss for me please.

Three months wow that’s a long time. Mine went missing for nine days and it drove us both batty. Three months wow!

Perhaps some heavy kitty play with toys is in order to tire him out to the point of sleeping.

@SpatzieLover will do. Now that he doesn’t stink, anymore. :) lol
@RealEyesRealizeRealLies it’s a long story, but yes he was gone for three months. He is starved nearly to death, he doesn’t have energy to play. He only walks across the room before you can see that he is tired out. He’s visibly weak. I have been keeping him close to me because I don’t think that he can fend for himself if one of the other cats gets feisty, they are still unsure of who he is.

Hmmm… perhaps make him a little special bed shrine sanctuary on your bed next to you? Something that you can move around the home wherever you go?

Serve kitty treats from your palm instead of in a bowl?

I dunno, but you better keep him close or I’ll be mad.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies I actually did make him a little raised bed next to my bed last night.. and I must have woken up 50 times to check on him. I was devastated while he was gone, so I might have developed a bit of separation anxiety myself. :) I’m keeping a close eye on him, but aside from his obvious anxiety, he seems to be doing much better already. He already looks fatter than he did yesterday. It wouldn’t take much, because he was like a walking skeleton, but he is definitely doing better.

He’ll be back to normal in no time… Well, maybe not normal… cause now he’s Extra Special!

I’ll bet he meows like this for less than a week. He is calling out in a reassuring manner. “You haven’t left me, right?” “You won’t leave me for long, will you?”

If everything else litter box, water & food is okay, then he’ll be fine.

I have one female that used to run out the front door, then become instantly petrified. We’d have to carry her around for a good hour or two to help her get calm. She was outside for moments at the longest.

Yep, he is eating.. though he seems to be struggling with dry food. I’m not sure if there is a problem, or if he just isn’t strong enough to do all of that chewing. Honestly, I am feeding him anything he will eat right now, just to get some strength in him. He is drinking water, his stool looks normal, he is using the litter box. He remembers where the boxes are in the house, and also where the food and water are. He definitely knows that he is home.
Everything is looking good, all in all. Just the meowing. Maybe it will pass on its own, I bet you’re right.

Awwww, kitties are so silly! Damn, I miss my girls…
Maybe his previous behaviors will re-assert once he’s back to normal weight and realizes you’re not going anywhere. Keeping fingers crossed! Extra loves for Max from his Aunt Toof. :D

Allow him to be near you. The chicken thing is fine. If he meows for reassurance, talk to him softly, give him a quick pet so he knows you are then, but do not baby him.

If his behavior continues even when his weight is up and he has settled back in the house, get back to us. I wouldn’t be surprised if he develops anxiety because of this ordeal.

My veterinarian did this to help calm the animals she was examining. She said it helped. Put pure lavender oil on a cotton balls in dishes and place them around the house. The reason I suggest dishes is you don’t want this stuff to get on finished wood.

With cats, you have to be careful about which essential oils you use, because several oils are actually toxic to them. I am not sure about lavender oil. You may want to research it before using it; dogs have a greater range of tolerance.
If you are open to alternative methods, you could order the bach remedy “rescue remedy” that helps with trauma, For cats, you should get the nonalcoholic remedy. Star of Bethlehem may also help because it is specifically for trauma. Here is a link: http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pets-bach-flower/ Persistence is the key, because these are not drugs that create a quick fix.

Again, I would get alcohol free for cats. Also, there are “calming” treats for cats. Either Doctors Foster and Smith sell those, or even onlynaturalpet.com.
Here is something that I just purchased for my hyper cat (he didn’t like the taste of the treats). It hasn’t arrived yet, so I can’t review it. It says it is to reduce tension in a multicat home, but it is essentially a calming tool: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+11268+32865&pcatid=32865

@Alaw thanks, this question is 6 years old (and the cat is healthy and happy!)

Oh, glad to hear it!! LOL. I didn’t pay attention to the date. :)