What to do if my cat is stressed

Although stress is an adaptive mechanism whose purpose is to guarantee survival in situations of danger, it can also be a pathology with serious physical and behavioral repercussions.

The cat is an animal especially susceptible to pathological stress since it is characterized by needing to exercise total control over its environment, this implies that stress can occur repeatedly until it becomes chronic by minimal changes in the environment, such as visits or change in the location of the furniture.

Stress requires an immediate response in order to avoid any complications, in this article we explain what to do if your cat is stressed.

Stress in cats

Stress is a absolutely necessary mechanism, for example, that a cat suffers stress during a move puts him on alert and allows him to adapt to a new environment, that a cat suffers stress when another animal shows aggression towards him allows him to flee, in these situations, no intervention is necessary some because the stress obeys a situation that truly requires this adaptive response.

In the cases we have mentioned the stress is given for a short period that does not pose any threat, the problem comes when the cat showsto stress on a daily basis and in everyday situations.

Sustained stress produces harmful changes in the body, which range from the decrease in the response of the immune system to changes in behavior, then we must act quickly if we do not want our cat’s health to be significantly reduced.

It is important to know the main symptoms of stress in the cat to be able to notice this situation as far in advance as possible.

Visit to the vet

A stressed cat can present multiple health problems, from infectious diseases to alopecia, allergies and various skin disorders. Therefore, it will be essential that a veterinarian assess the state of health of the cat to initiate a pharmacological treatment in those cases in which it is necessary.

Another important reason to initially visit the veterinarian is that stress may be caused by a physical illness and it is important to rule out that this is the underlying cause.

Take care of your cat’s diet

Among the multiple balanced foods for cats that we can find nowadays, some are specific to support nutrition in times of stress.

A stressed organism has slightly different nutritional requirements and needs more energy to cope with the state of alert that stress causes, therefore, it is highly recommended change the feeding of the cat so that it is an extraordinary help in the treatment of stress, which allows, together with other resources, a good recovery.

Obviously, any change in the feeding of the cat should be done gradually to avoid digestive complications.

Observe the other animals in the home

Does your cat live with other animals? This can aggravate stress and even be the cause of it. To determine how other animals in the home influence the stress of the cat, it is necessary observe the behavior of them, and also the behavior of the cat when it is with them.

If we detect that the companionship of the other animals aggravates the stress of the feline it will be necessary to keep the animals separated for a time Until the cat is more recovered, it may also be necessary to work on the behavior of other pets.

Spend time with your cat

Every day you should find a quiet space to be with your cat for a long time. During this time talk to him with a sweet voice, give him all your affection and play with him, always observing any aggressive behavior that could occur, since these should not be allowed.

Playing with your cat will give your pet an excellent tool to manage stress, since the best remedy for this condition is keep the cat active as a way to channel the state of alert that your organism suffers.

Treatment with natural therapies

Stress is a condition that responds especially well to natural therapies and this gives us the opportunity to improve the quality of life of our cat in a completely respectful way with its organism.

We can choose to provide our cat with various natural tranquilizers, such as pheromones, which allow the cat to feel the environment under its control and territory. Other equally suitable options are Bach flowers and homeopathy.

In order to successfully apply these natural therapies, we recommend that you do it under the supervision of a holistic veterinarian.

If you want to read more articles similar to What to do if my cat is stressed, we recommend that you enter in our behavior problems section.