Is your cat showing subtle signs of stress? See if your cat shows these signs.
Like people, cats can also experience stress. Any disruptive life change can cause your cat to show signs of stress, and if it is continuous, it could affect your cat’s overall well-being long-term. Here, we will discuss the most common cat stress symptoms, their causes, and how to relieve cat stress.
Common Cat Stress Symptoms
Cats can show stress through their facial expression, body language, physical attributes, and behavior. A stressed stance would include wide eyes, creased brows, a tight, lowered body posture, tucked-back ears, tight whiskers, and a moist nose and paws.
Meanwhile, physical attributes of cat stress would include:
- Abnormal appetite or lack thereof
- Balding patches from excessive self-grooming
- Unhealthy coat
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Runny nose or eyes
- Slow recovery from illness
- Painful urination
Behavioral cat stress symptoms would be:
- Aggression toward people and animals
- Foul mood
- Increased hiding
- Increased meowing
- Increased hesitation to interact socially
- Eating inedible objects
- Not using the litter box
- Excessive behaviors
- Over-alertness
- Non-responsiveness
Common Causes of Cat Stress
Any change in lifestyle or a negative relationship could cause a cat to exhibit signs of stress. Examples of lifestyle changes would be:
- Moving house
- Home renovation
- Visitors
- Owners going on vacation
- Events outdoors
- New family member or pet
- Traveling (including to the vet)
- Change in daily routine
If your cat does not get along with one or more other pets in the house, it will definitely not be happy. Make sure to monitor and manage when new pets meet existing pets and their coexistence.
How to Relieve Cat Stress
The way to relieve cat stress could be partially dependent on the situation. Even so, you can find many ways to relieve your cat’s stress.
Does your cat want to hide away from the stressor or stress of life? Let it have a comfortable, quiet room where it can relax. It can help keep it from seeing visitors or things that distress it.
Additionally, you could aid its relaxation with a natural diffuser for cats or catnip.
Playing with your cat can also help it take its mind off of worrying and affirm its relationship with you.
If your cat is not getting along with other pets, provide it with its own “territory,” like cat trees or window perches, and manage pet interactions. If necessary, solicit a professional to resolve the issues.
Trust the Care of Your Pet to the Professionals at Everhart Veterinary Medicine!
At Everhart Veterinary Medicine, our veterinary professionals strive to provide your pet with the very best of veterinary care. We believe that the best care for your pet should be provided by experienced, compassionate, and knowledgeable veterinary professionals. With two Maryland locations in both Baltimore and Pasadena, we are always ready to welcome your pet as a new patient! Give us a call today at 410-355-3131 or 410-793-7670! For more information, as well as updates on veterinary news and topics, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!