Content
- 1. Frequent appearance of infectious diseases
- 2. Increased aggressiveness
- 3. Increased anxiety
- 4. Eating disorders
- 5. Territory marking
- What to do if my cat is stressed?
Stress is a defense mechanism that is not only present in humans, but also in animals, in fact, it is an adaptive response to the environment that allows for survival in dangerous situations.
The main problem is that stress can be pathological when it occurs frequently and in situations that are not uncommon. Therefore, cats are very susceptible to stress, as they need to have their environment under control and can trigger an intense adaptive response to the slightest change.
Some cats manage stress very well, while for others it is a health problem that must be treated. To detect this disorder as soon as possible, in this article by PeritoAnimal we will show you the 5 symptoms of stress in cats.
1. Frequent appearance of infectious diseases
Stress involves the release of multiple hormones, which interfere with the proper functioning of white blood cells or defense cellstherefore, the cat's immune system fails to respond properly.
If the cat repeatedly contracts infectious and autoimmune diseases, it should immediately suspect a state of chronic stress, which can also manifest itself with other disorders such as alopecia or bronchial asthma.
2. Increased aggressiveness
Has your cat gone from being a docile and tame animal to being an aggressive pet? So you might be suffering from stress. Not all cats manifest aggression in the same way, however, an aggressive cat can present the following behaviors to a greater or lesser degree:
- Does not want to relate to people or other pets.
- Bites and scratches.
- It keeps the pupils dilated and the gaze fixed.
- The cat hisses.
- It raises the hair on the loin.
3. Increased anxiety
Stress also causes anxiety in cats. Anxiety is a great stress indicatorA cat with anxiety is a cat that shows constant fear and phobias that perhaps were not evident before. One of the most serious components of feline anxiety is compulsive behaviors like stereotypies.
A cat with anxiety is prone to self-harm, we can observe excessive licking and ingestion of inedible objects such as tissue.
4. Eating disorders
Eating disorders can also affect cats, although for very different reasons from those seen in humans. You food disorders in cats occur mainly due to stress., since stress directly affects eating habits.
a cat with stress may completely lose your appetite and even come to present malnutrition, another behavior that we can see in a stressed cat is compulsive eating and not tolerating food well, vomiting in the end.
5. Territory marking
a stressed cat you feel that you have completely lost control of your environment and will do everything possible to recover it.
An obvious sign of stress in cats is marking walls and large furniture (including the sofa), even more so when this behavior had not occurred before. Stress marking of territory occurs in the form of vertical, top-down scratches.
What to do if my cat is stressed?
If your cat is stressed, it has at its disposal multiple resources that will allow it to better manage stress and improve its quality of life, such as the use of natural tranquilizers for cats.
However, it is recommended that you first consult the veterinarian. to make an assessment of your cat's health status, since, as we have seen, stress can have very important repercussions on your pet's body.
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.