Stress is a part of our everyday lives but will affect some more than others. In a similar way, stress can also impact our pets. For humans, stress is more likely to come from money worries, work worries or family worries (to name but a few!) but for animals, stress will come typically from much more primitive sources – environmental factors, physical injuries and social or territorial issues. Our pet cats will obviously not have the same stress factors as their wild cousins – they do not need to hunt zebra in order to feed, nor do they need to worry about being attacked by a crocodile while defending their territory from a pack of hyenas. Nevertheless, stress in cats is incredibly common and not always easily recognised or treated; so why do cats get stressed in the first place and what can we do about it?
What is stress?
The dictionary definition of stress in this context is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances”. Physiologically, stress will have a huge impact on the body. In mammals, there are two main stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol, both of which are released from the adrenal glands. Adrenaline is the ‘immediate’ stress hormone, which results in the ‘fight, flight or fright’ response. This means the heart rate will elevate, the pupils will dilate and blood flow increases to the muscles. Cortisol release is more of a chronic stress response and while valuable in the short term, long term exposure can have quite deleterious effects on the body. Its effects include increasing glucose production, impacting on the immune system, suppressing reproductive functions, increasing blood pressure, breaking down muscle, and increasing inflammation. It is no surprise then that where possible, stress, especially long term stress, should be avoided.
Cats and stress
Cats are quite a unique species, being both predator and prey. In the wild, as anyone who has watched a David Attenborough series will know, large cat species are very often ‘top dog’. But in a domestic setting, cats can also fall prey to larger carnivores, dogs, and even each other. Although cats living in the UK are highly unlikely to come across a wild coyote in the back garden, living with humans can bring about a number of its own stressors. The degree of stress response demonstrated by an individual cat will vary and is very much dependent on the temperament of the animal, their early years socialisation and the husbandry of their care. Some cats are seen to be very nervous and easily stressed, whilst others are more relaxed and able to cope with certain situations better.
Causes of stress
For some cats, something as simple as change can be stressful. Cats are typically creatures of routine and like familiarity. Therefore, any alteration in their social structure, environment or day to day activities, however minor, can be a trigger for stress.
Socially, events such as the introduction of a new family member or a loss of an existing family member can have a huge impact on a domestic cat, particularly those with a close bond to their owners. These changes will bring about new smells, new routines and also new behaviours of the remaining humans, all of which can be stressful. Similarly, the introduction of a new pet or loss of an existing pet can really upset the dynamic in the household and can be majorly life-changing for some cats.
Probably the biggest environmental change for pet cats would be if they were to move house. This basically means turning their world upside down, with the only consistent factors being their owners and their belongings. Their territory, both inside and outside is gone, their smells have gone, their space has gone. Many cats, even the most resilient ones, will tend to take a while to settle into a new home, during which time their stress levels need to be monitored and minimised wherever possible.
On a smaller scale, changes to an existing home or garden can also be upsetting. Building work, or even just new furniture can be a trigger for stress. New sounds or smells also have the potential to have a negative impact as a cat’s senses of hearing and smell are much more highly tuned than our own.
The problem with vet visits
Individual events, even if they only happen once in a blue moon, can also be highly stressful, the most commonly thought of being a visit to the vets. If you consider how you take a cat to the vets from the cat’s point of view, you can begin to see why so many hate it so much.
Firstly, they are often not allowed out first thing in the morning, or they may even have been kept in overnight, so already, the cat is aware that something different is going on (a change in routine). If they are to stay in for a procedure, they won’t be allowed food in the morning either, so this equates to another change in routine. Then the cat box comes out – very often, this already has negative connotations from previous visits so will often be a stress trigger in itself. Once the cat has been put in the box, sometimes with quite a struggle, they then have to endure being swung from a handle, placed in a car, driven to the vets (with all the noise and smells and movement of the car journey), swung again on the way into the vets, then made to wait in the waiting room.
From their point of view, this is often the most stressful part of the whole experience – it’s noisy, there are other animals around, especially dogs which are seen as their predators, the smells must be overwhelming, and they can often feel very vulnerable in their carriers, particularly if they’re on the floor in a busy area. The veterinary consultation itself will also often come with unintentional but unavoidable stressors such as pain (either from a condition or from the treatment e.g. an injection), more handling than they’re used to (during the examination) and unfamiliar experiences like blood sampling, anaesthesia or hospitalisation. All in all, not usually a pleasant experience for the majority of cats, but by appreciating what may be stressful for our pets, we can start to reduce these triggers wherever possible.
Signs of stress
Cats are notoriously good at hiding stress. Obvious signs of stress typically play out as aggression – hissing, swiping and biting. By reading their body language, we can also recognise more subtle signs that they are not happy with a situation. This can include holding their ears back and down, showing very wide eyes or very narrowed eyes, narrowing their muzzle, flattening their body, swishing their tail, ‘fluffing’ themselves up or even complete unresponsiveness which is a sign of an extremely stressed cat and should not be interpreted as them being ‘good’ or ‘calm’. These signs are all seen during a phase of acute stress, in that ‘fight or flight’ response. But what about the signs of chronic stress?
Chronic signs of stress are typically behavioural, but over time, can manifest as physical changes too if the cat’s health becomes compromised. Behavioural changes often seen can include inappropriate urination (such as spraying or urinating outside of the litter tray), over-grooming, hiding away, decreased play, decreased appetite and unwillingness to go outside.
Stress is also thought to be a major contributing factor to the development of cystitis in cats (known as FIC – feline idiopathic cystitis), though the exact mechanisms are unknown. Over-grooming in response to stress can lead to skin infections and areas of hair loss, and in some cases can be very hard to deal with. Stress can also upset the digestive system with diarrhoea being the most common sign, but reflux and vomiting can also occur. Because persistently high levels of cortisol are known to impair the immune system, new infections can be more often seen at times of stress. But interestingly, stress can also lead to the recrudescence of dormant infections, most commonly, feline herpes virus, which can cause respiratory and ocular disease in cats and is fairly ubiquitous in the feline population with over 90% of cats having been exposed to it at some point.
Treating stress
When it comes to stress, the phrase “prevention is better than cure” is highly relevant. Although it is nearly impossible to prevent all stress to our feline pets, being aware of what can trigger it, can help us to reduce it as much as possible.
Generally, wherever possible, make any changes to their environment as gradually as you can, especially events such as introducing a new family pet. Some people find plug-in feline pheromones very useful during these changes or events such as a house move. Always ensure that the cat has a safe place to go to in the house where they can hide aware if they want to, in an area which doesn’t encounter high footfall traffic, and consider placing a food bowl, water bowl and litter tray here too (though keep the litter tray away from the food and water bowls). For multi-cat households, make sure there is one litter tray per cat plus one extra to help prevent territorial issues.
During a vet visit, using a blanket to cover the carrier, and holding it from the bottom to prevent excess swaying motion can help to make them feel more secure. Use separate cat waiting areas if available and place the cat box up off the ground. Using feline pheromone products can be highly beneficial if sprayed around the cat box before they go in, or simply plugged in at home beforehand. If the cat gets especially stressed or they need a more invasive procedure such as a blood sample, speak to your vet about using medication prior to the visit to try to reduce their stress levels. Longer term, particularly in cases of FIC, nutritional supplementation can work well.
A lot of cats enjoy interaction with their owners so having time each day to groom or play with your cat can reduce stress for both of you. Puzzle feeders, toys, a scratching post and varying levels such as shelves or cat trees can also help to keep them entertained.
Although on the surface, it can appear that our domesticated cats live a charmed life, many will suffer with stress to varying degrees. By recognising the obvious and not so obvious signs and ideally pre-empting periods when stress may occur, we can massively improve their welfare and quality of life, both mentally and physically.
Further reading:
Stress in owned cats: behavioural changes and welfare implications
Stress and Animal Health: Physiological Mechanisms and Ecological Consequences
Discussion