Cats are extremely sensitive animals and susceptible to change, so they tend to experience more episodes of stress than dogs. In general, and depending on the stressor, cats tend to treat this disorder and adapt to the situations that arise. However, when the negative stimulus does not disappear, or persists for a long time, we must find it to remove it from its routine and restore the animal's emotional stability.
In this article on our site we show you the most common causes of stress in cats and everyday so you can learn to identify the reason that stresses your feline and you can eradicate it.
Stress in cats
Before we go into explaining the main things that stress cats, it is essential to identify that it really is stress and not the presence of some disease, for example. Thus, when a feline feels stressed in the face of prolonged negative stimuli, it usually presents the following main symptoms:
- Development of infectious and autoimmune diseases. Due to the state in which the animal enters, its immune system is seriously damaged and, therefore, it begins to repeatedly contract infectious pathologies.
- Hair loss Much more noticeable than usual, related to lowered defenses and increased nervousness.
- Aggressiveness, to a greater or lesser degree.
- Stereotypes. The state of anxiety in which the cat finds itself causes it to carry out compulsive and repetitive behaviors, called stereotypies, such as excessive licking, eating cloth or other non-edible objects, biting itself, etc.
- Loss of appetite and/or thirst. When a cat is stressed, he tends to stop eating, presenting a considerable loss of weight and consequent hair loss, dry skin, etc.
- Marking Depending on the stressor, the feline may begin to mark certain spaces in the home or furniture in an uncontrolled manner. In general, this type of stress marking is carried out by means of vertical scratches, although it is also common to observe the animal constantly rubbing against walls and objects.
- Changes in your grooming routinesThe stress and anxiety it feels can lead the cat to become obsessive about cleanliness, licking itself excessively until it even presents areas with no hair at all, or, on the other hand, neglecting it completely, relieving itself outside the litter box, for example.
Now then, What causes stress in cats and leads them to act like we just mentioned? Below we show the main reasons that can lead our feline to reach this unpleasant state for him.
Visit the vet
Every time you go to take your cat to the vet does he literally go crazy? This is one of the things that stresses cats the most for two reasons: the use of the carrier and the arrival in an unknown place full of hostile odors.
The fact of feeling enclosed in a space as small as that offered by the carrier, makes the cat enter a state of nervousness, anxiety and stress that can even last a few days. To avoid this, it is essential to accustom the animal to this tool from when it is a puppy, associating it with positive stimuli. Likewise, once in the veterinary clinic, many are the felines that feel stressed despite having left the carrier, why? Due to the number of odors that this space accumulates and the sensation of not controlling the environment The state of stress of this furry companion is such that he becomes very aggressive, consult Read the following article and put our vet's advice into practice: "Solutions to prevent your cat from becoming aggressive at the vet."
Change address
Cats are territorial and controlling animals, They need to feel that they have total control of the situation and the environment around them to be safe and calm. In this way, it is not surprising that a change of address causes a serious state of stress in them.
When your feline first came into your home, he probably spent several days rubbing his face on walls, furniture, and objects, right? This ritual is carried out with a clear objective: to leave the smell of him. In doing so, the animal releases facial pheromones that act as a marking that allows it to mark that home as its own and establish it as a safe place. When he takes him to a new home, his smell, his marks, have disappeared, so he no longer feels protected and his body assumes an attitude of alertness, stress and anxiety until it adapts again. To facilitate your adaptation, it is recommended to bring some objects and even furniture from your old home, as well as not to alter your daily routines.
Change the furniture
Because the cat is an animal so susceptible to change, a move does not necessarily have to take place for it to feel stressed, a simple renovation of the furniture is enough. As we said, the old furniture had been impregnated with the facial pheromones of the feline, marks that disappear when changing it for new ones. If the renewal is partial, the cat will mark newly arrived items and quickly adapt to their presence. The real problem lies when we are people with a tendency to make constant renovations to the decoration or furniture of the home, since the feline never manages to get rid of the negative stimuli that cause stress.
The arrival of a new member to the family
Another of the big changes that are part of the list of things that stress cats, and a lot, is the incorporation of another animal to the family When the newcomer is a cat, and a proper introduction is not made, the resident feline may become aggressive and reject the newcomer. With his arrival, his situation of comfort and security is completely diminished, a fact that causes stress and anxiety in him, triggering the behavior problems mentioned.
When the new animal is a dog, the stress that the feline can feel is even greater, so proper socialization from puppyhood is essential to prevent this from happening. Likewise, as we pointed out, presentation is another key that helps us achieve a good relationship between cat and cat or cat and dog. In this sense, the ideal is to prepare a security area for the feline and make the presentation by smell, that is, when the newcomer is still in the carrier. The first physical encounter should take place in the security area set up for the cat, so that he will feel that he is in control and we will avoid an unpleasant situation. During contact, it is essential to reward both animals so that they see each other as positive stimuli. On the other hand, if the second animal is a cat, it is imperative to provide individual feeders, litter boxes and scratching posts, since sharing them can aggravate the feline's stress.
However, when we refer to the arrival of a new member to the family, we are not only referring to the incorporation of another animal, but we are also talking about the birth of a baby, the integration of a couple, etc. All these changes also stress the cat and require an adaptation period.
Loud or constant noises
Cats are animals with a much more developed sense of hearing than we do and, therefore, constantly listening to loud and annoying noises can be real torture for them. This fact not only produces a serious state of stress and nervousness in cats, it can also lead to hearing impairment in certain cases. A clear example of this, and very common in many homes, is the use of the bell collar Can you imagine what it must be like to hear the bell jingle at all times? Exactly, horrible!
Using the laser to play
Many human companions of cats think that their feline enjoys playing with laser light. And it is that how not to think about it, if we see how he chases her without stopping, with his tail raised and his eyes wide open, right? Well, the truth is that all these signs tell us just the opposite, that the cat feels frustrated and stressed for not being able to reach its prey.
Cats are born hunters and, as a consequence, they need to see this instinct covered to feel calm. However, opting for impossible or unattainable games like chasing a light will only make the situation worse. To cover this need, the cat has to hunt and catch its prey. With this we do not mean that you should let your cat chase small animals, since you can offer the same sensation through toys designed for this purpose, such as the so-called cat fishing rods, with feathers at the end, balls or stuffed animals that simulate rodents.
Visits from outsiders
If the cat has not received proper socialization, the visit of people outside its family nucleus can trigger stress, anxiety and even fear. He will demonstrate all of this by hiding until the "strangers" leave or being aggressive if any of them try to approach.
For him, his daily routine is alteredwith the arrival of visitors and, therefore, this situation is part of of the things that stress cats the most. Sometimes, the best solution is none other than to set up a permanent security area for the cat to hide in and never force it out if it doesn't want to. Likewise, if the cat finally decides to go out to inspect the visitors, approaches them or smells them, do not repress or push them away, without realizing it you will be making them associate them with something negative and their state of stress and fear will worsen.
Inappropriate yelling and punishment
Remember, Loud noises stress cats, and yelling represents an elevation of our usual tone of voice, becoming a annoying noise for the cat. If what you are looking for is to correct a certain inappropriate behavior, opting for shouting is not the correct method, since it will only disturb your bond and make the animal associate you with a negative stimulus for him. The ideal, always, is to reinforce good behavior and indicate to the animal that it has acted wrongly with a resounding "NO" without actually screaming.
On the other hand, imposing a punishment some time after the inappropriate act, or exercising violence, are also things that stress cats and make them aggressive, fearful or elusive. Out of time, the animal does not understand why it is receiving such a punishment and interprets that you want to harm it senselessly, causing unexpected scratches or bites.
Change Meal
It is no secret to any cat companion that it is an animal with an exquisite palate Due to the anatomy of its tongue, The feline has the ability to perceive the taste of food much better than other animals, making it unable to consume what it considers unpleasant. In this way, if we have recently changed its food and it does not like it at all, the cat stops eating and begins to feel stress because it cannot satisfy its hunger. If we observe this behavior, the first step should always be to go to the vet, since loss of appetite is not an exclusive symptom of stress, it is also associated with multiple pathologies. Once discarded, we can proceed to change their diet again until we find the right food.
Do not have scraper
Too long nails cause discomfort in the cat because they hinder its mobility, causing it to develop anxiety, stress and wounds in its paws. To avoid this, it is necessary to provide the animal with a scraper so that it can file them and keep them to the correct size, or proceed to cut their nails if they are still excessively long.
If you don't have a scraper, we will observe the need to file their nails on our furniture, since they will decide to scratch them for this purpose.
The lack of mental stimulation
Although many think that cats are calm and independent animals, the truth is that they also require attention just like dogsand game sessions to stay mentally active. Likewise, they are capable of developing strong ties with their human family, ties that must be nurtured and reinforced through communication. In this way, a lack of mental stimulation can develop boredom, frustration and stress in the cat, leading him to destroy the furniture or relieve himself outside the litter box.
To keep it well stimulated, strengthen the bond and prevent this from being one of the situations that stresses the cat, we recommend you consult the following article with 10 games to entertain your feline.
