Chartreux anxiety from working from home

A Chartreux suddenly anxious after you started working from home is more common than people expect — and it makes sense when you think about it. Cats are creatures of routine, and a quiet house that was reliably empty for eight hours a day is now permanently occupied. That's a significant territorial shift for a cat who had learned to own the space. Cat anxiety is real and often further along by the time owners notice, because cats hide stress well. Pheromone-based products are the most reliable first step here, but placement matters a lot. Can you tell me what you're actually seeing from him — hiding, vocalising, overgrooming, litter issues? And has anything else changed alongside the work-from-home shift, like furniture moving or a new desk setup?

Overgrooming to the point of thinning fur is a reliable sign that the stress has been building for a while — that's not just mild irritation, that's Dorian's nervous system working overtime. The afternoon hiding makes sense too; if you're typically most active or on calls in the afternoon, he may be retreating from the unpredictability of your schedule. The good news is this is a very solvable problem. Before I give you my recommendation, one quick question: where does Dorian spend most of his time during the day? I want to make sure the product I suggest is placed where it'll actually reach him.

That's really helpful. Given that Dorian moves through the hallway regularly and is showing stress that's already manifesting physically, I'd go with the Feliway Classic Starter Kit — the plug-in diffuser with the first refill included. Feliway Classic releases a synthetic version of the feline facial pheromone, which is the scent cats deposit when they rub their face on something they consider safe. It doesn't sedate or alter behaviour directly — it just signals to Dorian that the environment is stable and familiar, which is exactly the message his nervous system needs right now. Plug it into the hallway between your office and the living room. That's his transit zone, and covering it means the calming signal hits him in the area of uncertainty rather than just where he already feels okay. Run it continuously for at least four weeks — pheromone products need time to build up, and stopping early is the most common reason people think they haven't worked. The overgrooming should ease within three to four weeks if you're consistent.

It's a reasonable thought, but I'd start with one diffuser in the hallway and give it a full month before adding another. The reason is that the hiding in the bedroom is a symptom of the broader anxiety, not a separate problem — if the hallway diffuser reduces his overall stress load, the bedroom retreating should reduce on its own. Adding a second diffuser immediately also makes it harder to know what's actually working. If after four weeks the overgrooming has improved but the hiding continues, then a second unit in the bedroom would be a logical next step. One clear intervention first, then reassess.

Yes — and none of it costs anything. The biggest thing is giving Dorian a predictable version of your new schedule. Cats handle change much better when the disruption becomes routine. If you can anchor his feeding times, a short play session in the morning, and some deliberate quiet time away from him in the afternoon, his nervous system starts to learn the new pattern rather than bracing for the unknown. Avoid going to him when he's hiding — let him come out on his own terms. And if you're on calls, try to close the office door so the unpredictable noise has a boundary. Combine those habits with the Feliway diffuser and Dorian should start settling within a few weeks.