Although stress is an adaptive mechanism whose purpose is to guarantee survival in dangerous situations, it can also be a pathology with serious physical and behavioral repercussions.
The cat is an animal especially susceptible to pathological stress since it is characterized by needing to exercise total control over its environment, this implies that stress can occur repeatedly until it becomes chronic due to minimal changes in the environment, such as visits or changes in the location of furniture.
Stress requires an immediate response in order to avoid any complications, in this AnimalWised article we explain what to do if your cat is stressed.
Stress in cats
Stress is an absolutely necessary mechanism, for example, a cat experiencing stress during a move puts it on alert and allows it to being able to adapt to a new environment, that a cat suffers stress when another animal shows aggression towards it allows it to flee, in these situations, no intervention is necessary because the stress is due to a situation that truly requires this adaptive response.
In the cases that we have mentioned, stress occurs for a short period that does not pose any threat, the problem comes when the cat shows a stress on a daily basis and before everyday situations.
Sustained stress produces harmful changes in the body, ranging from decreased immune system response to behavioral changes, then it is when we must act quickly if we do not want our cat's he alth to be significantly diminished.
It is important to know the main symptoms of stress in cats in order to be able to detect this situation as early as possible.
Veterinarian visit
A stressed cat can present multiple he alth problems, from infectious diseases to alopecia, allergies and various skin disorders. Therefore, it is essential that a veterinarian assesses the state of he alth of the cat in order to initiate pharmacological treatment in those cases in which it is necessary.
Another important reason to go to the vet initially is that the stress may be caused by a physical illness and it is important to rule out that this is the underlying cause.
Take care of your cat's diet
Among the many balanced foods for cats that we can find today, some are specific to support nutrition in times of stress.
A stressed organism has slightly different nutritional requirements and needs more energy to cope with the state of alert that stress causes, therefore, it is highly recommended change the feeding of the cat so that this is an extraordinary aid in the treatment of stress, which allows, together with other resources, a good recovery.
Obviously, any change in the cat's diet should be done gradually to avoid digestive complications.
Observe other household animals
Does your cat live with other animals? This can aggravate stress and even be the cause of it. To determine how other household animals influence the cat's stress, it is necessary to observe their behavior, and also the behavior of the cat when it is with them.
If we detect that the company of other animals aggravates the feline's stress, it will be necessary to keep the animals separated for a while until they the cat is more recovered, it may also be necessary to work on the behavior of other pets.
Spend time with your cat
Every day you should find a quiet space to be with your cat for a long time. During this period talk to him in a sweet voice, give him all your affection and play with him, always watching for any aggressive behavior that may occur, as these should not be allowed.
Playing with your cat will provide your pet with an excellent tool to manage stress, since the best remedy against this condition is keep the cat activeas a way to channel the state of alert that your body suffers. El
Treatment with natural therapies
Stress is a condition that responds especially well to natural therapies and this gives us the opportunity to improve the quality of life of our cat in a completely respectful way with its organism.
We can choose to give our cat various natural tranquilizers, such as pheromones, which allow the cat to feel the environment under his control and territory. Other equally suitable options are Bach flowers and homeopathy.
To successfully apply these natural therapies we recommend that you do it under the supervision of a holistic veterinarian.
