Stressful Situation 1: Changes to Your Home Here are some changes that often cause cats to stress: Rearranging or purchasing new furniture. Renovations and remodelling. Clutter and mess.
YES. My cat will stay on the tree and look out the window all day if my room is messy. He wants to be able to run around. He needs there not to be too much clutter distracting his visions.
Cats are famously clean animals. Just like us humans, they like to wash often and keep their waste hidden away. So, it stands to reason that a nice, tidy litter tray is best for both you and your cat – but even the cleanest cats can be messy from time to time!
Cats are naturally clean animals and need regular, easy access to a suitable place to go to the toilet. They do not like to use heavily soiled areas. Some cats need to use an indoor toilet area, for example a litter tray. Cats are territorial and become very attached to places.
Quite often, though, the stress is precipitated by a change in your cat's environment. These changes may not be immediately obvious to you, but some cats are extremely sensitive to them. Here are just a few possible causes of stress for cats: Dirty litter box conditions.
While having a houseguest might be exciting for the owner, it's a new smell, a new person and a disruption in routine for the cat. Other common causes of stress for cats include new pets, new babies, remodeling, construction, storms, or general changes to their routine. Cats exhibit stress in a variety of ways.
This helps them maintain clean fur, reduce parasites and keep themselves cool. Cats have a special organ called the Jacobson's organ that allows them to detect pheromones and keep track of their territory. In addition to these natural grooming behaviors, cats also enjoy being brushed and bathed occasionally.
The key environmental resources for your cat are their food bowl, water bowl, litter tray, scratching post, somewhere to play with their toys, and cat beds or other nice places to rest.
To keep the excess cat hair in your home to a minimum, it is best to vacuum regularly. Some vacuum cleaners now come with high efficiency allergen filters, perfect for picking up those fine cat hairs that have embedded themselves into your carpet. We recommend vacuuming every two to three days if you have the time.
“Cats will sometimes jump into the litter boxes and often use them while, and right after, their people have scooped them,” says Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant. “Cats love clean litter boxes, ones that are freshly scooped and don't smell of excrement.
Boredom can be a big problem for cats, but so can overstimulation. Because cats have sensitive hearing and skin, excessive noise and touching can cause a great deal of stress. Constant, loud TV and music, dogs barking and people shouting might be stressful. So is too much touching.
Short answer: yes. When their needs for companionship are not met, cats can become depressed. They can also get separation anxiety. Unfortunately, feline separation anxiety often goes unnoticed until it becomes severe.
Just moving furniture around, redecorating, or adding new pieces can stress some cats because you're changing the territory she knows so well. This is even more stressful when you're changing environments entirely and can result in scratching, urine spraying, and other stress-related behaviors.
Sleep, sleep, sleep
It was no surprise to find my cats spend a lot of time sleeping. It's estimated that cats spend 12 – 16 hours a day sleeping, and as indoor cats, my two love lounging around. They have several different preferred snoozing spots depending on the time of day.
Indoors, Huck said, most cats' No. 1 activity would almost certainly be sleeping. But these cats' lives were recorded when they were outdoors, and they had a higher priority: Their top activity was “resting” — not sleeping, but not exactly up and at 'em.
For humans, there's a health risk, as cats can track poop onto the counter if they walk on it after using the litter box, spreading bacteria across the area where people prepare food. It's best to keep your cat off the countertops.
In fact, cats have been known to groom themselves up to 50% of the time that they are awake! But as long as they are not grooming excessively more than this (which could indicate an underlying problem) you will know your cat is relaxed and happy when they are preening themselves.
Think food puzzles to engage minds and bodies, vertical space for climbing and surveying their domain, scratching posts, safe outdoor access (like a catio), window perches and interactive play. “Play is an important part of relieving stress,” Delgado says. “It helps cats release those feel-good hormones.”