Sudden Stress Response in Cats

1 Understanding and Reducing Cat Stress

Symptoms of cat stress response include hair loss, diarrhea, coronavirus mutation leading to infectious peritonitis, and even sudden death. Many owners may not take the cat’s stress response seriously; I hope this article will help you after reading it.

I. What is a cat stress response

A cat’s stress response is the cat’s body’s stimulating and adaptive reaction to various external and internal conditional factors. When the suddenly changed environment or conditional factors stimulate the cat, it causes the cat to secrete excessive adrenaline, which acts on various organs, leading to symptoms such as severe contraction of internal organ blood vessels and the resulting ischemia. If the stimulation lasts a long time, it is very likely to cause lesions in the cat’s body organs.

1. Causes and manifestations of stress

There are many phenomena in life that cause cats to have a stress response; common ones that can cause greater stress include:

2. Symptoms of cat stress response

If a cat is forcibly taken outside, it will feel a strong sense of discomfort; mild stress responses include trembling, hiding, etc.; if the stress is stronger, it may even howl loudly, injure people, etc.

Moving or frequently changing the home layout

For an already accustomed environment, a regular life gives the cat a very high sense of security, while frequently changing the home layout or moving will cause the cat to need to re-adapt to the environment; mild stress responses include anxiety, restlessness, etc.; if the stress is stronger, it may cause decreased appetite, frequent grooming, etc.

3. Arrival of a new member

The arrival of a new member is a huge challenge for the cat; competition for resources and the shift of the owner’s attention may make the cat feel huge pressure; mild stress includes hiding, agitation, etc.; if the stress is stronger, it may run away from home.

4. Bathing

Cats are very afraid of water; bathing is like execution for cats. Incorrect bathing methods plus fear of the unfamiliar environment will cause the cat to have a severe stress response, and in serious cases may cause sudden death.

5. Noise

As mentioned in previous articles, a cat’s hearing is several times that of humans; sudden noise will scare the cat; mild stress responses include puffed-up fur, hiding, etc.; if the stress is stronger, it may leave a psychological trauma on the cat.

II. Prevent or reduce cat stress

A cat’s stress response cannot be completely eliminated (my cat often scares itself), but we can try to prevent the cat’s stress sources.

1. Do not force walks on cats

If not necessary, try to take the cat out less. When going to the hospital, you can place familiar clothes in the cat bag in advance or spray some pheromones an hour ahead to relieve the cat’s emotions.

2. Pack the cat last when moving

First keep some carpets and clothes familiar to the cat in the old home, and only bring the cat to the new home after all the things in the house have been moved, letting the cat familiarize itself with the new home environment on its own.

Welcome new members with a method

3. Reduce bathing frequency

A cat’s bathing frequency is at most once every three months; it is best to bathe at home, avoid directly spraying water on the cat, and do not let the cat soak directly in water. If the cat hates the sound of the hair dryer, you can use towel drying or a dryer.

4. Keep cats away from noise

When noise appears in the environment, you can isolate the cat in a quieter room, as far as possible from the noise source; if there is no separate room, you can use a wardrobe or other sealed objects instead.

III. How to relieve a cat’s stress response

If the cat has already had a stress response, to help the cat get through it smoothly, owners may need to put more attention on the cat and try the following:

1. Spend more time with the cat and play with it more

2. Provide adequate food and water

3. Give some food it usually likes (but avoid changing to food it has not been fed before)

4. Keep the litter box as clean as possible

5. Avoid too much noise and odor in the living environment

In addition, when the cat shows abnormal behavior, observe carefully, and it is best to take some videos and photos to record; if the symptoms do not improve, consult a professional veterinarian promptly.

Finally, I hope everyone will take the cat’s stress problem seriously, and do not, for a moment of novelty, imitate the incorrect behaviors on the internet such as walking cats, taping cats, or placing cucumbers to scare cats, which can very easily cause cat stress.