What is a cat's stress response?
Simply put, stress response refers to the cat's abnormal physiological or psychological response to external stimuli. It is also a type of cat stress response, which has been proven to be the most common cat behavior problem, and also an important cause of a variety of diseases in cats.
According to animal behaviorist Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, stress can shock the immune system and trigger a variety of diseases.
What causes the stress reaction?
New cat arrives home/moves.
Unfamiliar environments can make cats extremely fearful and uneasy, and are also the main cause of stress.
Visit a vet at a pet hospital or a pet store for a facial treatment.
Going out in a car, or being in an unknown environment with strangers, can be scary for cats.
House renovations or other noise.
Cats hate loud noises. It scares them.
Changes in the family.
Including the increase or decrease of pets or humans. The mood of the owner also affects the cat, and cats are often anxious when the family is stressed.
Resource competition.
This happens most often in multi-cat homes, when cats feel they have to compete for food, water, a clean litter box, and owners.
The expression of stress response
Stress reactions are generally classified as acute and chronic:
1. Acute stress reaction
Acute stress can be triggered by an unexpected event or threat and is easily identifiable.
2. Chronic stress response (chronic stress)
Chronic stress is relatively difficult to identify because it builds up over a long period of time and requires patient observation. Stop eating, licking, urinating and defecating, or binge eating (depending on personality type)
Don't move or "pretend" to be asleep
Go into hiding
Show defensive aggression towards people/cats
Be on high alert or have a severe startle reaction
Excessive licking of hair, pica
Excessive scratching of skin and hair
How to relieve the stress response?
A. Determine the source of your cat's stress
If you don't know what causes your cat's stress, it can be difficult to relieve your cat's anxiety and stress.
If stress is triggered by a specific event, the easiest way is to eliminate or minimize the impact of that event.
B. Give your cat a relaxing living environment
Just like when we're stressed, we need quiet. Cats also need a quiet environment. Turn down the volume of the TV and make sure all sounds in your home are kept to a minimum (especially shouts or squeals from young children). Let the cat rest and relax as comfortably as possible.
Provide a small, secluded space for your cat in your home. So that he can hide whenever he is afraid. It is also important to provide your cat with a suitable scratching board. Scratching is a great way for cats to reduce stress.
Make sure your cat has a separate food bowl, birdbath and litter box - cats usually don't like to share litter boxes.
If your cat misbehaves because of stress, don't yell or hit him. This will only increase his stress level.
C. Distract your cat by playing with toys
Spend some time alone with your cat. Sitting quietly with your cat can reassure him, and petting him from beginning to end can also relax him. Giving your cat encouragement and rewards at the right time can also help relieve stress. Encourage your cat to play with a variety of toys, and every few days to play with your cat with a cat-teasing stick, such exercise is a good stress reliever for your cat.
D. Use cat pheromones to soothe your cat
You can use cat pheromones (cat pheromones) to reduce your cat's anxiety and stress. A commonly used cat comfort product on the market is the cat facial pheromone, which is an analogue of a natural pheromone secreted by the cat itself. It releases signals that make the cat relax, and it provides a feeling of reassurance to the cat in the surrounding environment. These "happy messages" can help cats feel safe. It has a very calming effect on cats, and the most common signs of stress in cats are excessive scratching, urinating outside the litter box, hiding, and fighting.
E. Go to a pet hospital to check your cat's health
Make sure your cat is vaccinated and dewormed on time. You also need to be alert to the cat for potential physical discomfort. For example, pain or other debilitating conditions should be examined as soon as possible so that your pet doctor can assess whether there is an underlying condition causing your cat's anxiety.
According to animal behaviorist Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, stress can shock the immune system and trigger a variety of diseases.
What causes the stress reaction?
New cat arrives home/moves.
Unfamiliar environments can make cats extremely fearful and uneasy, and are also the main cause of stress.
Visit a vet at a pet hospital or a pet store for a facial treatment.
Going out in a car, or being in an unknown environment with strangers, can be scary for cats.
House renovations or other noise.
Cats hate loud noises. It scares them.
Changes in the family.
Including the increase or decrease of pets or humans. The mood of the owner also affects the cat, and cats are often anxious when the family is stressed.
Resource competition.
This happens most often in multi-cat homes, when cats feel they have to compete for food, water, a clean litter box, and owners.
The expression of stress response
Stress reactions are generally classified as acute and chronic:
1. Acute stress reaction
Acute stress can be triggered by an unexpected event or threat and is easily identifiable.
2. Chronic stress response (chronic stress)
Chronic stress is relatively difficult to identify because it builds up over a long period of time and requires patient observation. Stop eating, licking, urinating and defecating, or binge eating (depending on personality type)
Don't move or "pretend" to be asleep
Go into hiding
Show defensive aggression towards people/cats
Be on high alert or have a severe startle reaction
Excessive licking of hair, pica
Excessive scratching of skin and hair
How to relieve the stress response?
A. Determine the source of your cat's stress
If you don't know what causes your cat's stress, it can be difficult to relieve your cat's anxiety and stress.
If stress is triggered by a specific event, the easiest way is to eliminate or minimize the impact of that event.
B. Give your cat a relaxing living environment
Just like when we're stressed, we need quiet. Cats also need a quiet environment. Turn down the volume of the TV and make sure all sounds in your home are kept to a minimum (especially shouts or squeals from young children). Let the cat rest and relax as comfortably as possible.
Provide a small, secluded space for your cat in your home. So that he can hide whenever he is afraid. It is also important to provide your cat with a suitable scratching board. Scratching is a great way for cats to reduce stress.
Make sure your cat has a separate food bowl, birdbath and litter box - cats usually don't like to share litter boxes.
If your cat misbehaves because of stress, don't yell or hit him. This will only increase his stress level.
C. Distract your cat by playing with toys
Spend some time alone with your cat. Sitting quietly with your cat can reassure him, and petting him from beginning to end can also relax him. Giving your cat encouragement and rewards at the right time can also help relieve stress. Encourage your cat to play with a variety of toys, and every few days to play with your cat with a cat-teasing stick, such exercise is a good stress reliever for your cat.
D. Use cat pheromones to soothe your cat
You can use cat pheromones (cat pheromones) to reduce your cat's anxiety and stress. A commonly used cat comfort product on the market is the cat facial pheromone, which is an analogue of a natural pheromone secreted by the cat itself. It releases signals that make the cat relax, and it provides a feeling of reassurance to the cat in the surrounding environment. These "happy messages" can help cats feel safe. It has a very calming effect on cats, and the most common signs of stress in cats are excessive scratching, urinating outside the litter box, hiding, and fighting.
E. Go to a pet hospital to check your cat's health
Make sure your cat is vaccinated and dewormed on time. You also need to be alert to the cat for potential physical discomfort. For example, pain or other debilitating conditions should be examined as soon as possible so that your pet doctor can assess whether there is an underlying condition causing your cat's anxiety.