Stressful situations for cats
Cats are not naturally suited to our modern lifestyles. There are many situations and events which can be potentially stressful. The most important ones are listed below.
Any change in your cat's environment may cause him stress. Read more...
Moving house can be particularly stressful for cats. Here, your cat is placed in a totally new environment. However, even small changes, which may be unnoticeable to you can also be very stressful for your cat. These can include buying new furniture, redecorating or even moving old furniture, especially if this interferes or moves the marks left by the cat.
Changes in the people living in the household can also be a potential source of stress for your cat. Friend(s) visiting, a new baby or a new pet (dog, cat etc..) can all cause distress.
In a multicat household, cats have to share their territory with other cats. This is most unnatural behavior for cats, who are not naturally inclined to develop social contacts. Read more...
Sharing their territory means loosing control of resources, which is a fundamental need for cats. For example, cats living together often have their food bowls in the same place. If one cat doesn’t want to come into contact with another individual, he may be forced to wait until the other cat has eaten.
As a result both cats may eat quickly or change the amount they eat in one go. In some incidences a cat may not feel comfortable enough to approach the feeding station at all and may go hungry or overeat to prevent the other animal eating 'his' food.
A similar situation may be seen around the litter tray. During the elimination process, cats need privacy. Most will not feel comfortable enough to use a tray in a room other cats can enter at any time. They don’t want to be surprised by the other cat(s) in the elimination area. Consequently, they visit the litter tray as infrequently as possible and eliminate as quickly as they can, thus leading to inappropriate elimination (house-soiling) or potential medical conditions.
During a stay at the veterinary practice cats are required to stay in a cage, are often not able to hide, are manipulated and restrained by strangers and forced to share an environment with many other pets, including barking dogs… Read more...
In addition to dealing with this stressful new environment, depending on the reason why he has to stay in the vet clinic, the cat may be in pain or feel unwell which adds to the distress.
Once the cat returns home, things may not improve. While the cat has been at the vets, his marks may have disappeared from the walls and furniture and/or been replaced by those of the other cats. As a result, when he comes back home, even if the cat “visually” recognises his territory, without the facial marks, he will feel lost. Similarly, other cats in the household may not 'recognise' him, as he smells and may look different (due to bandages, elizabethan collar, etc...).
