New cat mom anxiety!

Hi everyone,

I have recently become a cat owner after an 18 year long wait! My little kitty is a 10 week old balinese and her name is Pixie. About a week ago I brought her home and ever since I have been having severe panic attacks and constant anxiety. On the second day I was crying almost every 10 minutes for no reason and having multiple panic attacks throughout the day. Dont get me wrong I love my kitten and have been an avid animal lover since I can remember but I am completely confused as to why I am reacting like this. My panic attacks and crying cause me to leave my room that she is staying in with me several times a day as I dont want to upset her in any way. She is very vocal as I expected from her siamese origin but I can't help but feel guilty and even more anxious at her constant cries. I don't want to give her up whatsoever but I can't keep feeling this emotional turmoil. Although I have struggled with anxiety for the past 5 years it has calmed down a lot. Owning a new cat however has made it skyrocket and I can't really understand why. I knew there would be responsibility and much time devoted to the new addition to the household but I certainly didn't expect for me to be feeling this upset. Having never owned a pet more lively then a fish I'm not sure if this is a regular occurrence for most pet owners and if it will pass over time. Maybe one of you has anxiety as well and has some advice to offer? Really anything will help and it would mean the world to me and my little bundle of joy. 

Love,

Willa and Pixie

Hello, welcome to TCS! I'm sorry you're feeling this way and it must be very hard. Especially with a kitten since they're hard work and very needy.

If it helps, when I first adopted my cat, I worried a lot and wanted to be home ASAP and all the time if I needed to go to work or school. I kept bugging my family who was home to give me updates about the cat. The constant worrying and desire to be around my cat all the time died down a few weeks later. My biggest worry was his nutrition and I spent many nights just obsessed with researching the right pet foods and thinking my cat was going to suffer or get sick if I didn't give him the right food SOON!!!! But after a while, I was able to come to terms that I can't possibly give him the food I wish he would eat if I can't afford it (and if he won't even eat it!). Now, I've found a good rotation of foods that I'm comfortable with. 

Do you have someone who can help you with the kitten? I think it'd be nice for you to get some alone time away from the kitten while knowing she's safe and happy even without you for a bit.

I understand anxiety in terms of learning about it and being aware of it, but I've not experienced it in a level where I can say I know what anxiety feels like. You mentioned one of your worries being that you'll have to give up the kitten because of your anxiety. For now, I think that option can be "pushed aside" and just focus on perhaps receiving help with your cat - easier said than done, I know! Maybe once some time passes and the initial shock of having a pet settles in, things will be better. Having a cat is a big life changing event especially if you're a first time cat owner! 

I haven't had an anxiety attack per se.. But I do kind lose it when I can't find Frost. He's usually just somewhere sleeping safely in the room, but I keep thinking we laid on him in our sleep or he's trapped somewhere. But he always pops up as if to say "Here I am Mommy!" Then he proceeds to flay me with his little claws. LoL!

The food thing, oh my LORD!! I fell asleep last night reading up on the best foods and most nutritious brands. Turning my nose up at so many brands that I thought were good, but are just full of corn meal. Reading all the 1 star reviews and horror stories.

But I think it's kinda normal to worry about your baby- human or fur baby.

Are you getting any treatments for your anxiety attacks? You mentioned that you had them before getting a little one. Just curious.

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