What people think is good behavior is actually stressful for cats! Such is often the case.
"Recently, I pee in many places..." "I have more time to groom..." In fact, there is a high possibility that you are stressed!
In this article, we will discuss the causes of stress in cats and how to deal with it.
If you want to get rid of stress and spend a comfortable time with your cat, please read it.
What causes cats to feel stressed?
There are many reasons why cats get stressed.
First and foremost, cats are animals that like "today is the same as yesterday and tomorrow is the same as today".
So keep in mind that change itself can often be stressful.
Check out the different scenarios below!
About housing
It's important for your cat to have a safe and relaxing space.
High places and dark and narrow places are safe spaces for cats.
Do you have a favorite crate, a pet bed, or a safe elevated spot that overlooks the entire room?
Also, for cats whose home is their territory, it is stressful to see or hear an outside cat.
If you have a stray cat, try to make the room so that you can't see it from the window, and even if you can see it, your cat can look down on you from a higher position.
And recently, we often see stress and health damage caused by smells, which is called "kogai".
Scents from fabric softeners and air fresheners can be offensive to cats who are sensitive to smells. (Cats are said to be 200,000 to 300,000 times more sensitive to smells than humans.)
About the toilet environment
Like us humans, we don't feel good when the toilet is dirty.
This is the same for cats.
If the toilet is dirty, people may hold back or go to another place to urinate.
The basic number of toilets is "the number of people + 1", but in addition to that, it is also important to be spacious and clean.
Also, when it comes to the toilet, it's more unpleasant to have a lump than a smell, so always remove the excrement.
It is common to find that getting a new toilet can make it difficult to eliminate properly.
If you use a new toilet, you should be able to use the old toilet for about a week to reduce the problem.
Meal environment
Many children are stressed by their eating environment.
There are many situations where cats cannot eat safely, such as places where people eat, or noise, shaking, or wind from washing machines or fans...
Cats also feel uncomfortable eating with their backs facing enemies or open space. Therefore, let's decide the position of the dishes so that the back faces the wall side.
Sudden changes in diet are also stressful for cats, and they may leave food behind or have a bad bite.
If you change your diet, do it gradually over a period of about a week.
About physical contact
Cats are fluffy and cute, so you'll want to touch and hug them a lot. But this behavior is actually very stressful for cats.
As we all know, cats are libertarians. Since they are animals that act according to their own will, they often feel stressed when they are held or stroked unexpectedly.
A baby that tries to run away when you hold it or starts grooming when you stroke it is evidence of stress.
For cats, excessive grooming is called "displacement behavior", which is a problem behavior that directs the outlet to another object (grooming in this case) when stress is felt.
Of course, some children like to be held, but let's respond to the cat's expression and behavior.
About walking
Recently, it seems that most of the cats in the city center are completely indoor cats.
Therefore, many of them live without knowing the outside environment, and some owners say, "I want to take them out for a walk!"
However, walking can be very stressful for cats.
This is because cats are territorial animals, and if they can't patrol a certain place at a certain time every day (at their own will!), they will feel uneasy.
In addition, cats often panic when they hear the movements and sounds of cars and people, so there are many accidents where they slip through the harness and run away.
If you still want to go for a walk, it's a good idea to do it in your garden or around it when there aren't many people around, and keep it under control with a harness and a collar.
various other stress
There are many other things that can cause stress in cats.- there is a visitor
- Construction noise and shaking
- Go to an animal hospital or pet hotel
- They are forced to wear Elizabethan collars and other clothes.
- Rearranged furniture or moved
- family increased or decreased
Even if it's normal for humans, cats can't understand words or situations, so every change is stressful.
There were so many cats who became unwell due to the change in the owner's life rhythm due to the corona misfortune.
That's how important routine is for cats.
How to get rid of your cat's stress-What is the index of relaxation?
While living with a cat, it seems difficult to give priority to the cat completely.
Therefore, it is important to remove as much as possible the behaviors and conditions that cats find stressful, and to coexist with them.
The index that the cat is spending time with peace of mind is
- I have a healthy appetite
- sleeping soundly
- no change in weight
- Groom properly
- I'm having a good excretion!
That's what it means.
It's a matter of course, but spending time together every day makes it difficult to notice changes.
Let's take a closer look at it again.
[Summary] What is NG behavior for cats? About the causes of stress
There are more NG behaviors for cats than people think.
A stress-free life for cats is a daily routine. Relaxing at your own pace is the best way to relieve stress.
Once again, let's review how to treat your cat and your living environment!
[Reference materials]
- Tadaaki Imaizumi understands the cat brain! , Bunshun Shinsho, 2019