Minimizing Stress In Cats in a Modern World
Domestic cats are not the ideal species to try to fit into the average household, despite their having been domesticated for thousands of years. For most of that time, cats were mainly outdoors or indoor-outdoor. In today’s world it’s not safe for cats outside, so many live strictly indoors. Many behavioral and health problems in cats are related to the fact that we expect them to live in an environment they are not quite suited for. The better job you do adjusting your household to the emotional and behavioral style of the feline, the happier and less stressed your cat will be.
Cats living the wild life outdoors socialize and live in groups of related individuals they know well. Brothers, sisters, moms, aunts, uncles and cousins hang out together. Strangers – unrelated cats – are incorporated into a group of cats very slowly, if at all. It usually takes a year or more for a newcomer to gradually work her way into a social group. She (or he, but unneutered males are more likely to be loners) spends month after month hanging around on the outskirts of a group until finally being accepted. Yet in our homes, we expect a new cat to be best buds with the resident cat within a few weeks – it’s not a very realistic thing to ask of a cat! (In fact, it’s much the same with people. You wouldn’t expect a newly adopted child or the new kid in the classroom to be adjusted and settled in after only a few weeks.)
Aggression or tension among housemates may result in outright physical confrontation and injury, but more commonly feline tension can result in subtle signs of unease and chronic low-grade stress. Urine spraying, litter box avoidance, overgrooming, avoidance of areas in the
home that were formerly a cat’s sleeping places and other signs may result. When introducing a new cat, it’s best if each cat has his or her own territory, sleeping places, litter box, and food and water bowls. It usually works well to keep the new cat in a separate bedroom for several weeks before slowly introducing him to the rest of the house. Give the resident cat his very favorite snack treat whenever the new cat is close by, at least for a few weeks. (Try sardines, tuna or bits of chicken.) That way, she’ll come to associate the newcomer with good things. Kittens are usually more easily introduced than older cats.
Chronic stress in pets has health consequences just as it does in people. People tend to get an upset stomach when they are worried. In cats, the bladder often is the organ that becomes inflamed and uncomfortable. Feline bladder disease may flare up with a move, introduction of a new pet or family member, or a stressful time in the home, such as a divorce. Any litter box problems are bound to get a lot worse if the cat associates the litter pan with pain from an inflamed bladder. Cats are very situational – if they were in pain in the litter box they associate the box with the pain and will often avoid going in it again. They don’t understand that the box didn’t cause the pain, they don’t think that way.
Instinctively they will avoid a place or situation that was uncomfortable for them. Anti-anxiety medication or the use of Feliway before and during stressful times can be very helpful, especially for nervous cats.
Feline attention to cleanliness is an adaptive strategy for survival. Burial of stool and urine reduces the ability of predators to locale a cat’s territory via smell, and minimizes the transfer of parasites and disease. Feline attention to cleanliness is one of the most positive aspects of cat behavior for most owners. However, their desire for clean and private toilet facilities means some thought and effort must be given to them. Cats desire a secluded location, since they are vulnerable to predators when they are using the litter box – this is instinctive, it doesn’t matter that there are no actual predators in the household the cat lives in. The litter and the box should be kept very clean, and the litter itself should be of a texture the cat likes. Most cats like the fine, granular clumping litters best, with no scent. If odor control is needed, cats prefer activated carbon to bicarbonate. Cats avoid citrus and floral smells.
In feline society, cats need to have free and immediate access to essential resources at all times, which helps them to feel in control of their environment. This includes food and litter boxes, but access to vertical space, for example a high shelf, a tall scratching post or the top of the refrigerator to perch on, is very important to them as well. Having high places to go relaxes cats because their natural strategy for minimizing fear and anxiety is to climb. Flight and hiding are both important to cats. Failure to provide ways they can do these things leads to chronic stress.
A cat’s primary defensive strategy is flight. In nature, cats are both predators and preyed upon by larger animals. They tend to view punishment or being restrained as an attack and will behave accordingly, often injuring someone with their fight or flight response. The human tendency to pick up cats to cuddle or restrain them can seem potentially threatening as well. To help avoid problems, early handling of kittens should include lifting, gently restraining, and touching the kitten all over its body. It’s best to let cats come to you for petting rather than to follow them around grabbing them – an important concept to teach to children with pets. Ensuring that cats expend sufficient mental and physical energy during the day is important for weight control and physical and mental fitness. Cats are designed for short bursts of energyconsuming activity (as in hunting for mice), interspersed with periods of rest and relaxation.
Misdirected predatory behaviors (such as attacking the owner’s feet under the covers) can contribute to stress and frustration for both cat and owner. Inappropriate habits may arise, including overeating, overgrooming and attacking or chewing inappropriate objects. Providing active play at least twice a day helps to burn off some of a cat’s play drive and energy. It also burns calories and keeps the cat happy. If you go on YouTube and search on “cats on exercise wheels” you can see cats entertaining and exercising themselves on big wheels and treadmills. Cats want to exercise and often enjoy it enough to seek out these seemingly un-catlike activities. Couch potato cats are not only unhealthy but often they are chronically depressed.
Hopefully these tips will help you provide a safe, secure and happy environment for your cat. Please call us for advice if your cat seems unhappy or is exhibiting behavior problems – we can help!