Photo by Rhoenes.
Cats have been domesticated for such a long time that humans may be unaware of their innate instincts. When cats were first kept as pets, they roamed freely and had plenty of room to do their “cat” thing. They could eat, sleep, and hunt as they chose, and they could even decide what cat neighbors they wanted to socialize with. They had control of their immediate environment.
Things have changed, and now we keep them confined in our dwellings. Multiple-cat households are common—an unnatural situation for a solitary animal. Cats have “neighbors” that may be dogs, children or other cats, and they may not get along with them. They no longer have control of their immediate environments, and just as importantly, they can no longer escape if they feel threatened.
The following are some of the signs to look for to help determine if your pet is undergoing chronic stress that could affect its behavior and health:
- Urine spraying to mark territory. This commonly occurs on vertical surfaces
- Furniture clawing that goes beyond normal kneading
- Overgrooming to the point of obsessiveness or hair loss
- Vomiting more than just hairballs
- Persistent hiding
Chronic stress in a cat can lead to medical problems that include the following:
- Urinary-tract infections
- Blood in the urine
- Hair loss from secondary skin infection
- Weight loss due to poor appetite
- Hormone imbalance
- Wounds from fighting
- Exacerbation of any ongoing disease, such as heart disease
- What can be done, especially in a household with multiple cats
Despite the cat’s historical nature, changes in our own environment have rendered allowing cats to submit to their natural instincts unsafe for them. Putting your cat outside is often not a good idea. Coyotes prey upon them, other cats that are territorial will beat them up, they can get diseases like the feline leukemia virus, there are people who would do them harm, and, frequently, they can get hit by a car. In this situation, the car always wins.
As a loving cat owner, you can mitigate the effects of today’s living conditions on your cat in the following ways:
- Give each cat his or her own feeding and water bowls at different levels and locations.
- Give them access to vertical areas such as shelves. This way, they can jump up and have a sense of escape.
- Provide many toys for mental stimulation.
- Give them access to windows for surveying the terrain.
- Stimulate their hunting instincts by providing objects for them to chase after.
- Give them special safe areas where other animals and kids cannot get to them.
- Most importantly, give them lots of attention and TLC!
If you have a stressed cat and these suggestions don’t work, we can help you with medication. Sometimes, something as simple as relaxing pheromones like Feliway can be of great help.
