11 things that make your cat stressed

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 17 February 2021
Update Date: 3 November 2024
Anonim
11 Causes of Stress in Cats
Video: 11 Causes of Stress in Cats

Content

Cats are extremely sensitive animals and susceptible to change and, therefore, they suffer more stress episodes than dogs. In general, and due to the stressful factor, felines are used to treating this disorder and adapting to difficult situations that arise. However, when the negative stimulus does not disappear or remains for a long time, we must identify it to remove it from the pet's routine and regain its emotional stability.

In this article by PeritoAnimal, we indicate the most common causes of stress and everyday so you can learn to identify and eradicate what's causing your feline stress!


stress in cats

Before we delve into the main things that stress cats, it is essential to identify that it really is stress and not the presence of some illness, for example. So, when a feline feels stressed in the face of negative stimuli that are prolonged over time, these are the main symptoms you usually have:

  • Development of infectious and autoimmune diseases. Due to the animal's emotional state, its immune system can be severely impaired and, therefore, start to repeatedly develop infectious character pathologies.
  • hair loss much more common than usual, related to lower defenses and increased nervousness.
  • Aggressiveness, to a greater or lesser extent.
  • stereotypes. The state of anxiety in which the feline finds itself causes it to have compulsive and repetitive behaviors, called stereotypies, such as excessive licking, ingestion of tissue or other inedible objects, biting, etc.
  • Loss of appetite and/or thirst. When a cat is stressed, it tends to stop eating, showing considerable weight loss and consequent hair loss, dry skin, etc.
  • Mark territory. Due to the stressful factor, the feline can start marking territory wildly in certain places in the house. In general, these types of stress marks include vertical scratches, although it is also common to see the animal rubbing itself against walls and objects constantly.
  • Changes to your hygiene routines. The stress and anxiety felt can make the cat obsessed with cleaning, licking itself excessively, and may even present hairless areas. On the other hand, it can also neglect hygiene, making needs outside the litter box, for example.

In the end, what causes stress in cats and causes them to have this kind of behavior? Then, we show the main reasons that can lead our cat to reach this state so unpleasant for him.


Cat stressed from visiting the veterinarian

Every time you try to take your cat to the vet clinic does it literally go crazy? This is one of the things that stress cats the most: the use of the carrier and the arrival in an unknown place full of hostile odors.

Being enclosed in a space as small as the carrier puts the cat into a state of nervousness, anxiety and stress that can last for a few days. To avoid this problem, it is essential to get the animal used to this tool from an early age, relating it to positive stimuli.

Still, many cats are stressed even after they leave the carrier when they arrive at the veterinary clinic. This happens because of the amount of strange odors that the space accumulates and the feeling of not controlling the environment.


cat stressed from moving house

Cats are territorial and controlling animals. They need to feel that they have full control the situation and the surrounding environment to be calm and safe. Therefore, it is not surprising that moving house causes a state of severe stress in them.

When your cat first arrived at its new home, it probably spent several days rubbing its face on walls, furniture and objects, right? This ritual has a clear purpose: to leave his scent. In doing so, the animal releases facial pheromones to mark the territory in that place as its own and establish it as a safe place. When he moves to another house, his scent and marks have disappeared, which makes him no longer feel protected. At that moment, his body assumes an attitude of alert, stress and anxiety until it adjusts again. To facilitate the adaptation, we recommend that you take some objects - and even furniture from each old one - and not change the pet's daily routines.

Cat stressed from moving furniture

As an animal is so vulnerable to change, it is not necessary to change houses for it to feel stressed: a simple renovation of the furniture is enough. As mentioned before, the old furniture has been impregnated with feline facial pheromones, marks that disappear when replaced with new furniture. If the renewal is partial, the cat will mark newly arrived objects and will adapt to your presence quickly. The real problem is in tutors with a tendency to make constant renovations to the decoration or furniture in the house, since the feline can never get rid of the negative stimuli that cause stress.

Cat stressed by the arrival of a new family member

Another of the big changes that are part of the list of things that stress cats a lot is the incorporation of another animal into the family. When the newcomer is a cat and there is no proper presentation, the resident feline may be aggressive and reject the new one. Upon arrival, this situation of comfort and safety is compromised, which causes stress and anxiety in the pet and ends up causing the aforementioned behavior problems.

When the new animal is a dog, the stress that the feline can feel is even greater, and a correct socialization since puppy is essential for this not to happen. Still, as indicated, presentation is another key that helps to achieve a good relationship between cat and cat or cat and dog. In this sense, the ideal is to prepare a safety zone for the feline and perform the presentation through the smell, that is, when the newcomer is still inside the carrier. The first physical encounter should take place in the safety zone created for the cat so that he feels he is in control of the situation, thus avoiding an unpleasant moment. During contact, it is essential to reward the two 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, scrapers, and litter boxes, as sharing these items can add to the cat's stress.

However, when we refer to the arrival of a new family member, we are not only talking about the incorporation of a new animal, but also the birth of a baby, the integration of a boyfriend or girlfriend, etc. All of these changes also stress the cat and require an adjustment period.

Cat stressed by loud or constant noises

Cats are animals with much more developed hearing than us and, for this reason, listening to loud and annoying noises constantly can be a real torture for them. This not only makes the cats severely stressed and nervous, it can also lead to hearing deterioration in some cases. A clear example of this that is very common in many homes is the use of collars with a rattle. Can you imagine having a rattle in your ear all the time? Yes, it's horrible!

Cat stressed by using a laser to play

Many are the human companions of cats who think their feline has fun chasing a laser light. It's normal for them to think that way as they watch the cat chasing the tail light in the air and eyes wide open. However, all of this indicates the opposite, that the cat feel frustrated and stressed for failing to capture his prey.

Cats are natural hunters and, as a result, need to cover this instinct to feel at ease. However, opting for impossible or unreachable games like chasing a light only makes this situation worse. To meet this need, the cat needs to hunt and capture its prey. By this we do not mean that you should let your pet hunt small animals, but that you can offer that same feeling through toys designed for this purpose, such as fishing rods for cats with feathers, balls or soft toys that simulate rodents on the tips .

Cat stressed by visits from strangers

If the cat has not been properly socialized, visits from people outside its family nucleus can cause stress, anxiety and even fear. All this will be demonstrated when the cat hides while strangers do not leave or through aggression in the face of attempts to approach.

THE your pet's daily routine is changed with the arrival of visitors and, therefore, this situation is one of the things that make the cat stressed. In some cases, the best solution is to create a permanent safety zone for your cat to hide in and not force him out if he doesn't want to. So, if the feline decides to come out of hiding to inspect the guests, approaching them and sniffing them, do not repress or separate him or you will be relating the visits with something negative, worsening his state of stress and fear.

Cat stressed by screams and inappropriate punishment

don't forget that loud noises stress cats and that the screams represent a rise in our usual tone of voice, a noise that bothers the cat. If you are looking to correct a certain inappropriate behavior of the pet, screaming is not the correct method, as it will only disturb your bond and make the animal end up associating you with something negative. The ideal is to always reinforce good behavior and indicate to the animal that it acted incorrectly with an affirmative "NO", without ever screaming!

Applying punishment sometime after the event or exercising violence are also things that stress cats and make them aggressive, afraid or fleeing. Out of time, the animal does not understand what motivates this punishment and interprets that you want to hurt it for no reason, giving rise to unnecessary bites or scratches.

cat stressed from changing food

Every cat tutor knows he is a animal with a sophisticated palate. Due to the anatomy of his tongue, the feline has the ability to notice the taste of food much more than other animals, which makes him simply not to consume what he finds unpleasant. So, if his food has changed recently and he doesn't like it, he will stop eating and become stressed because he can't satisfy his hunger. Faced with this behavior, the first step should always be to consult a veterinarian, since loss of appetite is not an exclusive symptom of stress, it is also associated with multiple pathologies. Once discarded, you can go back to swapping the food until you find the right food for him.

Cat stressed for not having a scratcher

Too long nails cause discomfort in the cat, as they hinder its mobility. This causes him to develop anxiety, stress and even sores on his paws. To avoid this, it is necessary to provide the animal with a scraper so that it can file its nails and keep them at the proper length, or cut his nails if they are still too long.

If your cat doesn't have a scraper, you may notice that he feels the need to file his nails on furniture.

Cat stressed by lack of mental stimulation

Although many believe that cats are quiet and independent animals, the truth is that also require attention like dogs and game sessions to stay mentally active. They are able to develop strong bonds with their human family, bonds that must be nurtured and reinforced through communication. Therefore, the lack of mental stimulation can develop annoyance, frustration and stress in the cat, causing it to destroy furniture or do needs outside the litter box.

To maintain this stimulus, strengthen the bond, and prevent this from being one of the things that make the cat stressed, we recommend that you consult article 10 cat games.

If you liked this information, check out the video on the topic on the PeritoAnimal channel:

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.