5 Ways to Support Anxious Cats (and Yourself) Naturally with Julie-Anne Heart

When your cat is hiding, overgrooming, or constantly on edge… it’s not just “bad behavior.” It’s communication.

In this video interview, SoyKitty's Founder, Ashley Hejlik sits down with Julie-Anne Heart, Soul Activator and founder of Naturally Cats, to explore the emotional and energetic root of feline anxiety—and why supporting yourself is often the first step to helping your cat.

We talk about natural ways to calm your cat without medication, the surprising ways cats mirror our energy, and the power of soul healing through color therapy, flower essences, and emotional awareness.

Here’s what we covered:

• The emotional link between you and your cat
• Practical, natural tools to support anxious cats
• How to shift the energy in your home
• Common mistakes we make with feline behavior

Watch the full episode:

Key Learnings

#1: Cats Reflect Our Energy

Julie-Anne shared something that stopped us in our tracks: what if your cat’s anxiety isn’t just their issue... but a reflection of yours?

This isn’t about blame—it’s about awareness.

Cats are incredibly intuitive beings. They don’t just live in our homes—they live in our emotional fields. That means when we’re overwhelmed, stressed, grieving, or dysregulated, our cats often absorb that energy. Not out of obligation, but because they’re natural harmonizers. They want balance. They seek it.

So what looks like skittishness, overgrooming, or irritability may actually be your cat processing the unspoken tension you’ve been carrying.

Julie-Anne explains that this mirroring is part of the soul contract many sensitive animals have with their guardians:

“If you're anxious and your nervous system is dysregulated, your cat is going to pick up on that. They’re trying to help you regulate—sometimes even taking that energy on for you.” — Julie-Anne Heart

This is where true holistic healing begins—not just with herbs or supplements, but with the energy we bring into the room.

Try This: A 2-Minute Energy Reset for You and Your Cat

Before you jump into “fixing” your cat’s behavior, try this:

1. Bring calm into the room. Turn on soft music, dim the lights, or use calming scents (like lavender or rose hydrosol—if safe and well-received by your cat).
2. Pause. Sit in the same space as your cat, close your eyes, and put one hand on your heart.
3. Breathe slowly. In through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 4, out through the mouth for 6.
4. Ground yourself. Visualize your body connecting to the earth, releasing stress through your feet.
5. Observe. Notice how your cat reacts—not just right away, but in the next hour or two.

This simple co-regulation ritual can reset the energetic tone in your home and give your cat permission to soften.

Healing begins with presence. And your presence is powerful.

#2: Botanical Remedies Can Ease Emotional Turmoil

For many of us, natural remedies might sound like something extra—a bonus or a last resort.

But for Julie-Anne, botanical remedies are foundational. They’re not about “fixing” symptoms—they’re about supporting the soul of your cat through whatever emotional journey they’re on.

“We give our cats so much input—what are we giving them to process that input?” — Julie-Anne Heart

Cats are surrounded by our energy, routines, noises, expectations. They take in more than we realize. And just like us, they need ways to process that input—especially if they're sensitive or living in emotionally charged environments.

Julie-Anne uses dried herbs, flower essences, essential oils, and hydrosols as gentle, intuitive healing tools. Not all remedies are right for every cat—and that’s the point. It’s about offering, not forcing. Letting your cat choose what they’re drawn to. This is known as self-selection, and it’s rooted in deep respect for the animal’s inner wisdom.

These natural tools help release stuck emotions, ground anxious energy, and bring cats back to center—without pharmaceuticals, and without side effects.

Try This: Create a Mini Self-Selection Station

Here’s how to start using botanical remedies in a conscious, cat-led way:

1. Gather a few safe, dried herbs like valerian root, catnip, lemon balm, rose petals, or chamomile.
2. Place them on a clean blanket (not too close together) in a calm space your cat can access.
3. Let your cat explore. Don’t coax, push, or “make” them engage. Simply observe.
4. Watch for signs of selection. Rolling, sniffing, licking, sitting near, or even just repeatedly visiting a herb can all indicate resonance.
5. Honor their choice. If your cat chooses one, consider leaving it available for a few days—then rotating in something new.

What you're doing here is creating space for emotional agency. You’re giving your cat not just an outlet—but a choice. And in that choice, healing often begins.

#3: Your Home Has an Energetic Vibe & Your Cat Feels It First

We often think of our homes in physical terms: clean or messy, quiet or loud, spacious or cramped. But Julie-Anne reminds us that our homes also carry energy—and our cats are exquisitely attuned to that unseen atmosphere.

This means that your cat may be responding not just to the environment you see, but to the one you feel—even if you haven’t fully acknowledged it.

Is your home tense after arguments?

Is there underlying stress from work or overwhelm?

Is the layout cluttered or stagnant?

These subtle imprints create emotional static—and your cat, in their intuitive brilliance, will often step in to absorb or mirror that frequency.

Sometimes this shows up as hiding, acting out, or pacing. Other times it’s a dullness or detachment. Either way, the space around them matters just as much as the food in their bowl.

Try This: Use Chakra Colors to Shift the Vibe

Instead of defaulting to neutrals or random patterns, bring intention to the colors in your cat’s space by tapping into the energetic wisdom of the chakras.

Each chakra is associated with a color and emotional tone. When your cat is anxious, withdrawn, or off-balance, you can support them by surrounding them with colors that bring harmony to specific energy centers.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

• Red (Root Chakra): Grounding, safety, stability
• Orange (Sacral Chakra): Creativity, emotions, flow
• Yellow (Solar Plexus): Confidence, courage, personal power
• Green (Heart Chakra): Love, compassion, connection
• Blue (Throat Chakra): Communication, expression, clarity
• Indigo (Third Eye): Intuition, insight, awareness
• Violet (Crown Chakra): Peace, divine connection, spiritual calm

You can place colored fabrics, cushions, or scarves in cozy napping spots, or create a color-coded rest area your cat can explore freely. Let them gravitate to what they need—just like with botanical self-selection, this is about offering, not directing.

Or, to make it easy, consider something like the 7 Chakras Pet Color Therapy Blanket—a soft, intention-infused blanket designed to bring all the chakra colors into one soothing, beautiful piece. You can drape it over a couch, your lap, or a shared cuddle spot to invite energetic healing into the moment.

It’s not about “fixing”—it’s about supporting their energy with yours, one color, one breath, one pause at a time. You might be surprised how quickly they relax, seek connection, or shift their behavior—once the energy of “home” begins to feel like a sanctuary again.

#4: “Bad Behavior” Is Often a Cry for Support

We’ve been taught to label certain feline behaviors as “bad”: biting, scratching, hiding, peeing outside the litter box, constant meowing.

But what if those actions aren’t defiance or dominance… but a desperate attempt to be heard?

Julie-Anne invites us to reframe our thinking:

“Behavior is communication. It’s the symptom of a deeper emotional need.” — Julie-Anne Heart

When we pause to look beyond the surface, we begin to see that what we call “misbehavior” is often a manifestation of emotional distress—not just in your cat, but possibly in yourself or the environment you share.

An anxious cat might scratch not to be destructive, but to discharge excess energy they’ve picked up from their guardian. A withdrawn cat might be mirroring someone’s grief. A reactive cat might be responding to a home that doesn’t feel emotionally safe.

In this view, your cat isn’t “broken.”

They’re brilliant.

They’re speaking the only way they know how—and the invitation is for you to listen with your heart, not just your head.

Try This: Reframe the Behavior as a Message

Instead of jumping to punishment, training, or even vet visits (unless medically necessary), try approaching your cat’s behavior with curiosity and compassion.

• Ask yourself: What’s changed in our home lately? How am I feeling these days? What might my cat be absorbing?
• Create a safe space where your cat can retreat without stimulation or pressure.
• Offer calming tools—botanicals, chakra colors, soothing music, or energy work.
• Speak to them softly. Even if you don’t know what to say, your calm tone signals, “You are safe here.”

You are not “spoiling” your cat by tending to their emotions—you are honoring their sentience.

And in doing so, you might find a healing path not just for them, but for yourself as well.

Because when we stop trying to fix and start trying to feel… that’s when true connection begins.

#5: Healing Is a Shared Journey

We often approach our cat’s anxiety with one question: “How do I fix this?”

But what if the better question is: “How do we heal—together?”

Julie-Anne gently reminds us that emotional healing isn’t something we “give” to our cats from the outside. It’s something we co-create from within.

“You can’t support your cat’s anxiety without looking at your own.” — Julie-Anne Heart

Your cat isn’t just a passive recipient of your care. They’re an energetic companion—often reflecting what you’re carrying, and responding to how you show up emotionally. When your nervous system softens, theirs can too.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s not about being calm 24/7 or hiding your struggles.

It’s about being present.

Being aware.

And being willing to walk the healing path with your cat, instead of for them.

Try This: Practice Co-Regulation

The next time your cat seems anxious—hiding, twitching, avoiding eye contact—try this:

• Sit beside them, not above. Let your body language say “I’m here, not here to fix.”
• Take 3 deep, slow breaths. Inhale peace, exhale tension. Let your shoulders drop. Let your energy settle.
• Feel your feet on the ground. Bring awareness to the present moment. Imagine soft roots connecting you to the earth.
• Don’t reach. Just be. Let your presence speak louder than your words.

This is co-regulation. Your calm helping them access theirs.

You don’t need the perfect technique. You don’t need to “solve” anything.

Your willingness to slow down, to be with, to feel—that’s what opens the door to real, lasting healing.

Because true holistic care doesn’t start with your cat.

It starts with you.

The Takeaways

If your cat is acting out, hiding away, or showing signs of distress, they are communicating with you. This episode is a gentle invitation to shift how you see your cat’s behavior… and how you see yourself in that reflection.

Because true healing isn’t about controlling symptoms. It’s about listening, softening, and walking the path together.

Here’s what we hope you carry with you:

• Your cat’s behavior is communication, not defiance. Pause before you correct. Ask what they might be trying to say.
• Healing is a shared journey. When you tend to your nervous system, you’re also tending to theirs.
• Gentle, natural tools can shift everything. From flower essences to chakra colors, the right support doesn’t have to be loud. It has to be aligned.

Let this episode be your starting point...or your next step.

Watch the full episode: