When our pets are terrified by loud noises, their panic is obvious. But fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) don’t always look like a shaking dog or a cat hiding under the bed. Often, our four-legged family members try to communicate their distress through incredibly subtle deviations in their normal behavior.
If you want to support your pet’s emotional well-being, the first step is learning how to decode their silent language. Here is your quick, 5-minute cheat sheet to spotting the signs of FAS in both dogs and cats, and what you can do to help.
Subtle Signs of Stress in Dogs
Dogs are masters of body language, but we often misinterpret their anxiety signals as just “weird quirks.” Keep a close eye out for these common signs:
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Lip-Licking and Yawning: If your dog hasn’t just eaten or woken up from a nap, frequent lip-licking or deep yawning are clear signs they are trying to self-soothe in an uncomfortable situation.
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Frantic Movement Patterns: Constant pacing, wandering aimlessly from room to room, or an inability to settle down indicates a high level of internal stress.
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The “Velcro” Dog: Sudden, extreme clinginess, following you step-for-step, pressing their body against your legs, or crying the moment you walk into another room—often signals rising separation anxiety.
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Whale Eye: When a dog tenses up and shows the whites of their eyes, it is a definitive visual cue that they feel threatened or overwhelmed.
Subtle Signs of Stress in Cats
Cats are notoriously stoic, which makes their anxiety even harder to spot. When a cat is experiencing FAS, they tend to internalize it:
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Over-Grooming: If your cat is suddenly licking a specific spot (like their belly or paws) until the hair thins out, they are using grooming as a displacement behavior to cope with anxiety.
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Hyper-Vigilance: Oversized, dilated pupils and ears that constantly twitch or flatten like “airplane wings” mean your cat is on high alert.
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Changes in Elimination: Urinating or defecating right outside the litter box is one of the most common ways a stressed cat cries out for help.
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Sudden Isolation: While cats love their alone time, a cat that completely withdraws and spends days tightly wedged behind appliances or deep in closets is likely dealing with chronic stress.
How to Help: Active Relief for Anxious Pets
Recognizing the signs is step one; step two is actively helping them shift their emotional state.
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Channel the Anxiety into Play: For high-energy dogs, anxiety often builds up as nervous physical energy. You can proactively burn off that stress hormones by using a ChuckIt! launcher for a high-intensity game of fetch before a stressful event (like an evening thunderstorm). Giving high-drive dogs a physical outlet allows them to release that pent-up tension safely.
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Create a Scent & Sound Shield: Set up a designated “Safe Zone” in a quiet room. Turn on DOGTV to mask external audio triggers with science-backed frequencies, and add a piece of your unwashed clothing to their bed so they are surrounded by your comforting, familiar scent before you leave the house.
Watch Video
Our checklist pairs perfectly with Dr. Chris Pachel’s segment on spotting FAS – Fear, Anxiety & Stress. Watch now and learn how to spot these important body language cues in your pet.