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Stress in cats – recognising and avoiding

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Stressed cats are not happy animals. How can stress be recognized and avoided?

Stress in cats: How can it be recognized and avoided?

Cats are sensitive souls and creatures of habit. Changes in their environment, strange people and animals are just three triggers that can cause stress in cats. Every animal reacts differently to stress, including your pet. One seeks silence and withdraws. The other rebels and shows his stress through uncleanliness. Watch your cat closely. Only if you know your animal well can you immediately analyze the stress symptoms and provide the necessary relaxation.

 

 

How do I recognize stress in cats?

Like us humans, every cat reacts differently to stress. However, there are signs that occur quite frequently.

 

  • Increased cleaning
  • conspicuous withdrawal
  • loss of appetite
  • unusual aggressiveness
  • constant restlessness
  • sudden uncleanliness
  • pronounced meowing

 

What can cause stress in cats?

Unfortunately, hunger, thirst and lack of attention are not the only worries a cat has. Anyone who knows anything about cats knows that the main trigger for stress in cats is change. Cats are creatures of habit and love a regular daily routine. A change in the type of food, a new roommate with two or even four legs, even the food bowl in a different place stresses our cats. The loss of a loved one often leaves its mark. Moving and/or renovation work can be particularly stressful. Loud music or television with cinematic sound can stress cats that are sensitive to noise.

 

 

What helps to reduce stress in cats.

  • Once you have identified the cause of stress, it is important to eliminate it. If this is not possible, e.g. because a newborn has moved in, the following will help:
    Always give your cat access to its usual feeding place. Do not change any food during this time.
  • Nothing should change in the litter tray either, neither the location nor the cat litter. Make sure that the litter tray is always clean so that the animal continues to feel comfortable.
  • If a move is planned, it helps if familiar objects such as the cat’s sleeping area or scratching post are already in their new place. Move the old things first. Only when the cat has acclimatised should you think about buying a new cat bed. It also helps if your velvet paw can slowly get used to its new home.
  • Are frequent visits from strangers a stress trigger for your cat? Then give your cat the opportunity to withdraw. Your cat also needs time to get to know the “intruder”. The animal should never be pressurised, but should always decide for itself whether it wants to make contact or not.

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This is how you can help your cat relax.

Our velvet paws live and love three-dimensional spaces. Cats love to be in higher altitudes. A cat tree, shelves and cupboards are often used. From there you can observe their habitat from a safe distance.

Give your cat enough space so that she can retreat. A quiet place that cannot be seen or a quiet cave where she can hide are very suitable for this.

Engage with your loved one at least twice a day. Cats that move around a lot and have enough to do are more relaxed. Give your cat lots of attention and play with her extensively so that he feels safe during this stressful time.

 

Why is my cat unclean?

Why is my cat unclean?

Is your cat messy and no longer using the litter tray? This behaviour can have various causes and in this article we give you useful tips. The first port of call should definitely be the vet, …

How do I keep my pet cat busy?

How do I keep my indoor cat occupied?

In the wild, cats keep themselves busy. They watch birds and hunt for mice and other prey. They never get bored and can really let off steam.

The indoor cat is different. To prevent your cat from getting bored, we give you tips and tricks on how to keep your cat sufficiently occupied.

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Cats keep themselves busy in the wild, but they find it much more difficult to do so indoors. To prevent your cat from getting bored, we give you the best tips and tricks in our article to keep your cat occupied.

Great ideas for spending time together.

Unfortunately, indoor cats do not have the opportunity to let off steam in the great outdoors. A responsible cat owner should therefore spend time with their cat at least once a day. If your cat is underchallenged, aggressive behavior can develop. In addition, boredom is not good for your cat’s health.

The easiest way to keep your 4-legged friend busy is to choose the right cat toy. We offer cat toys made of felt. Our felt cats and mice scamper silently across all smooth floors and are particularly suitable for sensitive cats. It doesn’t matter whether they are toys from specialist shops, home-made intelligence toys or clicker training for cats. Small colorful balls, special fishing rods with rustling ribbons or glittering feathers attached to them are a wonderful invitation to romp around. Our cat Gisela, for example, loves to chase after little paper balls, which she then retrieves very well. Maybe she is a dog after all, trapped in the body of a house cat πŸ™‚

Keep the house tiger busy when it is home alone.

Playmate

Boredom is always greater alone than in pairs. When buying a cat, consider whether you would rather have two. If they are siblings and from the same litter, they will get along well right from the start. If there are enough toys available for both animals, the cats can keep themselves perfectly occupied on their own.

Observation point

Cats are very curious by nature. They want to discover and see. Many house pets can keep themselves occupied if they can observe their surroundings outside the home from an observation point. It doesn’t matter whether they are looking at cars, other animals or people. The movement is crucial. Set up a comfortable observation post for your cat (e.g. our Rondo Stand) where it can lie protected and watch undisturbed.

Hide and seek

Small cat cushions filled with catnip or valerian are an irresistible lure for cats. Hide a few of these small cushions around the house and your cat will be busy searching for a while.

Rummage box

For people who are not so handy, a rummage box for cats is quick to make. You will need a box made of sturdy cardboard or plastic and fill it with chestnuts, table tennis balls, newspaper, leaves, pine cones, pieces of bark or, or, or. It is important that the objects are too big to swallow. Then hide some of your cat’s favorite treats in the box and the search can begin.

 

Tips

If your cat is at home alone for long periods of time, it is important that it has enough food as well as something to do. Always provide your cat with enough water and food.
A regularly cleaned litter tray is a matter of course. For better cleanliness, we always recommend one more litter tray than there are cats in the household. This means at least two litter trays for one cat.

It is also essential to ensure that there are no indoor plants in the house that are poisonous to cats. You can find a detailed article on “Plants poisonous to cats” here.

Why is my cat unclean?

Why is my cat unclean?

Is your cat messy and no longer using the litter tray? This behaviour can have various causes and in this article we give you useful tips. The first port of call should definitely be the vet, …

A very warm welcome

A very warm welcome

Felt cat caves with latex cushionsI am delighted that you have found our blog here. In future, everything here will revolve around dogs, cats and the people that go with them. We will be discussing all topics relating to our 4-legged friends. I'm looking forward to...