This article will help you understand the signs of anxiety and stress in cats, as well as some causes or triggers. You will also learn how to effectively reduce cat anxiety and stress to help them lead happier and healthier lives.
The causes and consequences of cat anxiety and stress
Usually, anxiety is caused by cats’ early traumatic experiences or changes in their daily lives. Usually, cats are animals that enjoy following rules, and sometimes slight changes in their environment or daily life can lead to anxiety and stress. New noise, new pets, changes in family environment, changes in food types, changes in urination and urination facilities, and visits to veterinarians are all common causes of anxiety and stress in cats.
Cats with high levels of anxiety and stress may develop abnormal behavior, social difficulties, susceptibility to illness, and maintain a persistent state of discomfort. As a cat owner, if you notice that the cat feels anxious and stressed, it is best to start addressing this issue before it escalates and becomes difficult to recover or causes any serious health problems to the cat. Anxiety is often gradual, so it is strongly recommended to address this issue as soon as possible.
10 Tips for Reducing Cat Anxiety and Stress
1.Noisy sound
Cats are afraid of loud noises, whether it’s screams or TV sound, which can cause them to feel anxious and anxious. If you know the causes of cat anxiety, try to cooperate as much as possible, speak softly, and turn down the volume of the TV, all of which can alleviate the cat’s negative emotions.
2. Stay at home alone
Although everyone feels that cats don’t seem to need special companionship, they can still live a good life. But some cats may have experienced many things and been abandoned several times, which can make them prone to anxiety. Sometimes even cats feel uneasy when they are just away from home for a while. If you encounter this situation, you can give snacks to the cat before leaving home to distract its attention. Or, when going out, step lightly to avoid making the cat feel lonely.
3. Cucumber
The cat was greatly surprised by the unexpected appearance of a cucumber. Although bystanders may seem interesting, this is not funny for cats and may also create unsettling shadows.
4. Loud Thunder
Cats are natural hunters and are very sensitive to external wind and grass movements. They need to react and avoid them at any time. Therefore, whenever there are frequent thunderstorms on rainy days in midsummer, the sudden sound of thunder will make the cat tremble with fear. If possible, staying with the cat on thunderstorm nights should bring peace of mind.
5. Frequent embrace
It’s heartbreaking, but in fact, cats don’t like being held by humans for a long time. Perhaps the cat slave just wants to express love, but the cat’s feelings are not good. So whenever you pick up a cat, it always struggles to leave. Therefore, please respect the wishes of the cat and don’t worry because the cat is not being held.
6. Frequent socializing
Cats can also feel anxious about socializing. Even if you are a hospitable person, you should not frequently let your friends visit cats at home. Because not all cats enjoy interacting with humans, this kind of socializing can sometimes be an invisible pressure for cats. If you find that the owner of the house always hides by the side and refuses to come out when someone visits, you should not force the cat. Remember to reserve space for the cat to hide to reduce its pressure.
7. New cat and dog companions
If you intend to have an extra cat, dog, or turtle, whether it’s a cat, dog, or turtle, you should first consider whether the existing cat at home can accept it, and patiently and slowly introduce new friends to avoid the cat causing anxiety. Even if there are new pets, cats cannot be ignored. They are greedy for new things and forget the old ones. The cat owner will not make you feel bad.
8. All sudden occurrences
Cats are very afraid of unexpected things, whether it’s an extra cucumber behind them or a sudden appearance of a big spider, it’s difficult for cats to accept. There are many short videos online that show cats being scared. Although it may seem interesting, these scares may trigger anxiety in cats. So it’s better not to scare cats, they are very timid.
9. The environment is too spacious
Modern home design pursues simplicity as fashion, but for cats, this may also be the cause of anxiety. Cats often have to snuggle up in a hidden place and hide, and when there is no hiding place, it also poses pressure for cats.
10. Being harshly scolded
Whether it’s a person or a cat, they don’t like to be criticized! Especially if a cat is abused during menstruation, even if you only raise the sound level slightly, it can cause the cat to have uneasy memories. Long term loud shouting and drinking from cats can cause stress and anxiety.
Don’t think that ‘under pressure, unresolved’ is just a human problem. It turns out that cats are also prone to emotional problems such as separation anxiety. As a competent cat slave, one must pay attention to the master’s every move. If there is any abnormal behavior, the cause of the problem should be identified and resolved as soon as possible. If the situation has not been resolved, you should request the assistance of a veterinarian to prevent the cat from suffering.
