Recognising Stress in Cats – Stress Awareness Month

Stress and nervousness can have debilitating results on our well being and sadly, it’s no totally different for our furry relations both.

This Stress Awareness Month, PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing explains how stress impacts cats and what you are able to do to assist your feline good friend.

“Behavioural adjustments in cats can typically be right down to stress, so it’s essential to have the ability to spot the indicators as quickly as attainable,” she mentioned.

“Stress can have an effect on your cat’s high quality of life. Your cat could also be feeling harassed resulting from a well being situation, change of their circumstances or surroundings. Stress itself may cause medical issues, like stress cystitis, which is a painful and probably harmful downside for cats.

“This means it’s essential to have the ability to discover when your cat is displaying indicators of stress so you possibly can assist them earlier than it will get worse!”

Spotting the indicators

Nina explains: “Some indicators your cat may be feeling harassed embody hiding or staying out of the way in which on a regular basis, consuming lower than regular, avoiding sure locations or folks, over-grooming or pores and skin circumstances, being extra vocal, diarrhoea or vomiting and weight reduction.

“However, many of those indicators could be attributable to medical issues in addition to stress,” Nina provides. “So if you happen to’re anxious about your cat or they present a sudden change in behaviour, we at all times advocate contacting your vet for recommendation.

Identifying the trigger 

“Cats could be harassed by plenty of various things, and never all cats will discover the identical issues annoying,” Nina provides. Some of the frequent stresses embody new animals or folks coming into their residence or backyard and adjustments across the residence together with the place their meals, water and bathroom are saved.

Environment adjustments

“One of the most important causes of stress for cats is adjustments to their surroundings or residence. This may be as huge as transferring home or as small as new furnishings or carpets.

“Changing rooms round or redecorating can actually upset them, as can transferring their meals or water bowls and litter trays. This could even make them toileting in the home in unusual locations so introduce any adjustments fastidiously and keep away from making too many adjustments in a single go.

“Alterations to their territory will also be upsetting to them. Although you possibly can’t management past your individual backyard, you may make positive that is saved a constant, protected haven by creating areas for shelter and hiding locations. Cats could be anxious by neighboring cats so monitor your cat’s behaviour once they enterprise exterior and once they return.

“Boredom may result in stress for cats so attempt to hold them entertained and lively. Make positive to offer them a while and a focus day-after-day. You don’t have to purchase new toys, you possibly can rotate the toys they’ve by maintaining some away and swapping them out now and again.

Social adjustments

“Many cats like their very own firm and may discover different pets annoying, even when they’re associated. They could be territorial they usually are inclined to get pleasure from their very own area.

“Cats will also be affected by adjustments to these residing within the family, comparable to when a brand new little one or child comes into the family or even when somebody they have been near strikes out or passes away.

“Changes in routine will also be very annoying on your cat. This consists of adjustments to feeding instances or work patterns. Even when their very own household are in the home extra typically than common, for instance if you’re working from residence extra.”

Advice and assist

If you suppose your cat is harassed, Nina says it’s greatest to contact your vet for recommendation as they’ll examine for any underlying medical causes, talk about attainable causes for the indicators of stress and advocate methods to assist them.

“There are some issues you are able to do to stop stress. Most importantly, be sure that your cat has everything they need to be happy. This consists of fixed entry to their water, offering a great high quality full meals, sufficient beds and hiding locations, train, toys, scratching posts and litter trays, and naturally, your time!” Nina explains.

“Many cats love excessive up hiding locations because it helps them to really feel protected. Place igloo beds (or use cardboard bins) on excessive, however straightforward to achieve cabinets. Cat shelving can be nice for them to get to excessive locations the place they’ll survey their environment.

“And for cats that get pleasure from time open air, contemplate a cat flap to allow them to come and go as they please. We advocate one which solely opens to your cat’s microchip to cease different cats coming into your cat’s residence and consuming their meals.”

For extra data go to pdsa.org.uk

PDSA is the UK’s largest vet charity offering an important service for pets throughout the UK whose house owners battle to afford therapy prices for his or her sick and injured pets. For many susceptible pets, PDSA is there to assist when there may be nowhere else for his or her house owners to show. Support from gamers of People’s Postcode Lottery helps us attain much more pet house owners with very important recommendation and data. www.pdsa.org.uk