Changes

==Treatment==

==Treatment==

The treatment process is complicated by the cat’s unique [[Effect of Environment on Feline Behaviour|reliance on its environment]] for security and safety. Before beginning specific behavioural therapy for the fear problem, it is important to make sure that the cat’s home environment closely satisfies the cat’s needs. The cat’s domestic environment should be optimised so that it can perform normal avoidance and hiding behaviour. Increasing the range and availability of resources such as feeding places, rest sites and [[Cat Latrines|latrines]] will reduce the cat’s general level of arousal and anxiety. Social and other problems should be treated before commencing fear related treatment. It absolutely vital that sounds or other stimuli must be presented systematically while the cat is relaxed, so that fear is never elicited. Otherwise, the cat may associate the context of its own [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Core Territory|core territory]] with memories of fear. This undermines the cat’s general security and could cause it to refuse to enter the home. It is also important to exclude children and other animals from the environment during training. This reduces any possibility that a cat may use aggression to regain access to an escape route, or learn negative associations with the presence of those individuals.

Before beginning specific behavioural therapy for the fear problem, it is important to make sure that the cat’s home environment closely satisfies the its needs:

* Free access to resources such as food, water, latrine sites.

* Opportunities to avoid and escape from situations or stimuli that are stressful.

* Reducing underlying problems of stress, particularly related to social stress (conflict with other cats or mishandling by the owner).

The basis of treatment of fear of inanimate objects is to use desensitisation and counterconditioning to alter the emotional response to the stimulus. Training should be done in an environment where the cat feels safe. [[Pheromonotherapy - Cat|F3 diffusers (Feliway)]]can help to accomplish this, in conjunction with environmental enrichment. The treatment may be augmented with pharmacological therapy if appropriate. C

 

The basis of treatment of fear of inanimate objects is to use desensitisation and counterconditioning to alter the emotional response to the stimulus. Training should be done in an environment where the cat feels safe. [[Pheromonotherapy - Cat|F3 diffusers (Feliway)]]can help to accomplish this, in conjunction with environmental enrichment. The treatment may be augmented with pharmacological therapy if appropriate.

===Desensitisation===

===Desensitisation===