Separation anxiety is a well known problem in dogs, and there’s a rule of thumb that a dog should not be left at home alone, even with another dog for company, for more than four hours.

This week may be particularly problematic for some dogs - not only are children returning to school after the long summer holiday, but an increasing number of owners are going back to work in offices rather than working from home.

Many people assume that it’s only dogs who are affected by separation anxiety and that cats are much more independent, not really caring whether their owners are around or not, but this is not the case for many felines.

Cats like familiarity and predictability, especially in their environment. Cats who cope badly with change include those who have limited physical or mental stimulation (indoor cats, for example), those who are lacking in confidence, and those breeds that are particularly human-orientated such as Siamese and Burmese. And then, of course, there are the cats who just love their owners and really enjoy having them around.

The signs of separation anxiety are easy to spot, and include:

Toileting in inappropriate places.

Excessive vocalisation.

Destructive behaviour.

Aggression.

Obsessive grooming.

There isn’t a simple solution to prevent separation anxiety, but there are a range of actions that an owner can take to try to alleviate the problem:

Leave a TV or radio switched on.

Give your cat opportunities to engage in their natural behaviours such as climbing and scratching: a weathered old plank makes a great scratching post; and piece of old carpet sprinkled with cat nip will provide endless entertainment; and make space on window ledges and shelves for your cat to jump up to and explore different heights.

Make a cat-friendly garden (indoors or outside) by planting cat mint, grasses, ferns and herbs (in particular basil, dill and coriander) and allowing your cat to play with them.

Use a plug-in diffuser that emits natural calming pheromones to lessen your cat’s anxiety (these can be purchased from most pet shops and there are various brands to choose from).

Spend lots of time interacting with your cat when you are at home, even if you’re tired after a long day at work - after all, cat cuddles are therapeutic for both you and your cat.

If you are still not back in the office full time, but you will be soon, practise leaving your cat for longer periods during the day - maybe spend a few hours at a friend’s house, or take longer when exercising.

We’re not sure whether the Covid-19 pandemic is the reason why we are rehoming cats at a greater rate than we’ve ever known, but maybe it’s encouraged people to view life in a different way. After all, a house is not a home without a cat in it.

Maxi, an adorable two-year-old, was handed into us last week because his owner’s new landlord wouldn’t allow pets, but he won’t be with for long. He appears a little shy when you first meet him, but within seconds he’s giving you head buts and purring as loudly as he can. But it’s not just his friendly personality that makes him special - he has the quirkiest appearance, with distinctive folded ears that don’t seem to cause him any issues and, as far as we can tell, his hearing is fine. We think he’d be best suited to a quiet household where, ideally, he’s the only animal and can be the centre of attention.

If you are interested in adopting Maxi, please contact the cattery team quickly (on 851672, option two) before he’s snapped up, and complete a home finder questionnaire which you can find on the adoption pages of our website.