Home on 31 Jul 2008 12:07 am
Is Your Cats Strange Behavior Brought On By Stress?
Is your cat acting out of the ordinary? Do they seem to be getting more aggressive to you, members of family, or other pet friends in your home? Do they seem afraid of things they weren’t afraid of previously? Or are they afraid for no reason at all? For any of these or any other strange behaviors it is crucial that you find out what is causing them so they can be stopped.
What most cat owners don’t know is that the sudden changes in their cats behavior could be a result of stress. If you are like most cat owners and are not sure how to help your feline friend then here is a little helpful advice.
Understanding Cats Under Stress
Just like many humans, animals are also sometimes vulnerable to stress. When something or someone new enters your cat’s territory, it can leave them feeling threatened. If they do feel uneasy then they are likely to start acting differently and this usually results in either aggression or withdrawal. Even the smallest of changes affects your cat. While some cats can successfully deal with change without any major problems, most will take any form of change really badly. So if you move, bring another pet into the home or bring another person into your cat’s life, it can really change your pet’s behavior.
However, after you’ve considered all the stressors above and have concluded that neither of these could be the reasoning behind your cats stress, then it’s crucial that you take your feline friend to a vet. Because change is not the only reason for a cats behaviorial problems it’s important to rule out illness. Yes, illness could be one of the reasons your cat is acting strangely.When a cat is ill they cannot tell you the what is wrong with them so their behaviors will change in hopes you will notice or just because of the pain they’re in.
Once you have found the cause of your cat’s stress, you can then focus on dealing with the problem.
Dealing with Feline Stress
How you deal with your cat’s stress will depend entirely upon what it is that your cat is stressed about. Sometimes patience is the best remedy and this is especially the case when you move homes. Start by placing the cat in one room and allow it to become familiar with the house gradually. By giving the cat its own room, it will start to feel safer in there and when it does feel threatened once it is exposed to the rest of the house, it will automatically go into ‘its’ room to relax.
For other stressors or when your patience is wearing thin you could always go to commercial products to assist you. One product which is call ‘Rescue Remedies’ which includes the ingredient Bach Flower Essence is used to assist in letting your cat relax a bit. This product is not only used for cats, but many other animals and even for humans. This is how it works when it comes to cats. You will put 2-3 drops in their drinking water. This is a quick and simple way to relieve a little cat stress. At times cats will not drink the water with this product in it because it can taste the acohol content. If this is the case you can put the rememdy behind their ears.
When dealing with your cats behavioral problems, first know that stress is a contibuting factor. So, if your cat is displaying any strange behaviors notice the recent changes or people that could be stressing out your cat.
Have a cat behavior problem that needs solving? If so, visit www.secretsofcats.com today to get expert information on how to train your cat and eliminate cat problems fast.
- Kathrynn Kelley
