Humans are not the only ones who suffer from stress; cats also experience stressful situations, a bodily reaction to a situation or change, mainly in their environment, that disrupts their balance. A team of veterinarians from Ohio State University conducted a study on how stress affects cats (published in the specialized scientific journal Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association), showing that it is the main cause of many of the health and behavioral problems affecting our felines.
We can distinguish between two types: “positive” or normal stress (eustress) and “negative” stress, which can become pathological (known as distress). Therefore, not all the stress experienced by an ARISTOGATO is harmful. Positive stress is a daily and ordinary occurrence that enables the body to adapt to the changes taking place in its environment throughout its life. However, when stressors interfere with its ability to endure and adapt, “negative” stress appears, causing behavioral changes and even the onset of certain illnesses.
What is the difference between stress and anxiety?
We must also consider the difference between stress and anxiety in our pets. Stress affects the body as a whole, while anxiety is an emotional and mental alert response to a danger that threatens the animal. One reason these terms are generally confused and considered similar is that anxiety is the most common response to stress, and likewise, anxiety can also cause stress.
Causes of stress in cats
The causes may be external, originating in the environment where the animal lives, or internal, relating to the cat’s own body. These are usually, above all, the illnesses it suffers from, which also cause stress. In many cases, it is very difficult to determine whether a change in a cat’s behavior is due to a health problem or a stressful situation, since the symptoms and signs it displays are very similar.
The most common causes of stress in cats are changes in their physical environment and social factors. In other words, because they are animals that are very “attached” to their comfort zone, any change in their surroundings or environment causes stress reactions. Some situations that can trigger it include moving house, building work in the home, changes to the furniture or home décor, traveling… There are also numerous factors that cats are unavoidably exposed to in their daily lives, causing changes in their usual routine and behavior that can also lead to stressful situations:
1.Other inhabitants of the house: One of the most common causes of feline stress is being constantly harassed by another inhabitant of the home, forcing them to remain in a constant state of alert.
2.Changes in the environment: Cats are territorial animals that thrive on routine, and control over time and space is vital to them. Their owner’s absence, an excessively long trip, moving house, loneliness… all of this creates a state of alert that, if not managed, will lead to persistent and harmful stress
3.Trauma and abandonment: Cats that have been abandoned or physically abused in the past continue to show symptoms of “post-traumatic” stress.
Have you noticed that your cat may be stressed? What reasons do you think caused it? Tell us on social media.