Despite being known generally as aloof and unfeeling, domestic cats are loving, playful and sensitive creatures that do their best to hide stress often to their own detriment.
Chronic stress in cats can result in gastrointestinal issues, skin problems, over-grooming, fur loss, fighting in multi-cat households and more. However, as is true for most animals, cats do their best to hide any possible signs of stress or illness as that would make them an easy target for predators or competitors.
In our homes, it is important that we notice when our cats are struggling but exactly what does a stressed cat look like?
Well, it can be very individual and ultimately depends on your cat's normal behaviour.
So your first step is to observe your cat in a happy, settled state;
they may purr, that sound that we all LOVE.
they may 'smurggle' aka 'make biscuits' - it's that kneading motion they do with their paws that tends to result in sharp claws poking through your clothes and pricking your skin!
your cat may roll onto its side or back and show his or her belly which may or may not be an invitation to stroke their belly, proceed with caution
your cat may give you head boops
they may engage in play if they are a playful cat
a super clear sign is half-closed eyes and that soft blink that tells you they are content
a happy cat will sleep about 18 hours in a 24 hour period though not all in one block
using a scratching post regularly
rubbing items around the home with their face
tail high with a curve at the end
Whereas, a stressed cat;
will have wide eyes, possibly with pupils dilated
may stare - this is a threat in the cat world, run away!
may not eat regularly, either starving completely or eating a lot in a short period and then not eat again for a while - most common in multi-pet households
may toilet outside of cat litter trays if they are litter trained
may hide under sofas, beds or anywhere else they can
may growl, hiss or even strike with claws
won't be getting enough sleep if they cannot settle
may cry at walls or corners
may refuse treats
may not accept strokes if they are normally a cuddly cat
may not play if they are usually a playful cat
scratching/marking inappropriately
tail flicking or held low/under the body
Sometimes, I can't put my finger on exactly why a cat I am caring for seems stressed/unwell to me, there is just something off and that intuition comes from carefully observing the cat when they are well.
If you have identified signs of stress in your cat, what can you do about it?
Have a look around your home and see if any of these needs are not being met...
Water bowl away from food bowl - some cats don't like water and food being close together
cat litter trays in unsuitable locations - cat litter trays should be socially important areas, they allow your cat to have their scent in desirable areas which helps them to feel secure and label this as their home
not enough cat litter trays - the ideal is one for each cat plus one. Personally, I have had three cats for years and had either 2 or 3 cat litter trays, but I am lucky in that my cats get on well. If your cats do not get on so well, ensuring that you have enough cat litter trays may help with that
unsuitable cat litter trays - some cats will not use a hooded cat litter tray, or maybe they can't get along with a top opening cat litter tray, but most often, cat litter trays are just far too small. They need to be big enough for your cat to go into and turn around completely.
Unfavourable cat litter - there are many types of cat litter and cats may have a preference. Try out a few to see which your cat likes best, personally I like clumping cat litter, easy to clean and less work. Luckily for me, my cats like it too! Some other options are wood or corn-based litters, clay litter or you could even use sand.
dirty cat litter - cats are fussy when it comes to cleanliness and a dirty cat litter may be putting off your cat from using it, forcing them to toilet elsewhere. My eldest cat is terrible for this, I must scoop the litter trays at least every other day, if not every day to ensure that she toilets only in the litter trays.
not enough places to hide, either low down or high up depending on the cats preference - some are 'tree-dwellers' and others are 'bush-dwellers' and like to have high or low hiding places respectively. I love to have shelves just for the cats in my home as well as huge cat tree and window beds on most of the windows so there are many many spots for my cats to chill
cats also like to be able to watch the world go by, window beds are fantastic for that as well as a nice call cat tree by a window
despite being fluffy, most cats love to be cosy, so nice warm beds, maybe even with a heat mat if they are older, are a must!
toys! cats love to hunt! give them an outlet for this need and you will have tired, content kitty cats! Cats tend to prefer either to hunt birds or mice, use this to encourage play with toys either animating it in such a way as to mimic a bird or a mouse according to preference
scatter feeding - cats like to sniff out and find food, try scatter feeding their kibble or treats over the floor, in their beds or in the grass if they have access to a grassy area
cats also have a need to eat grass, not a lot, just enough to provide much needed fibre to get their gut healthy - being primarily carnivores, this is a need that hasn't gone away with the invention of domestic cat food. This is also why cats give all your house plants a good munch so be careful to only have non-toxic plants in your home and garden.
food bowls too small - cats don't like their whiskers being triggered when they are trying to eat, a nice shallow bowl is best, ideally ceramic as metal can cause acne for some
finally, the vast majority of cats love cuddles so make sure to set aside time at least once a week for a good cuddle session for emotional healing for you both!
Jackson Galaxy is a well-known cat behaviourist who has lots of videos on YouTube with tonnes of fantastic advice and I thoroughly recommend having a look at those! Jackson also had (or has? I don't know, I don't watch live TV) a tv show called 'My Cat From Hell' which was fantastic from what I have seen. Additionally, here are some products that I recommend:
But don't feel that you need to spend hundreds. Cardboard boxes are always a favourite along with milk bottle tops, toilet tubes, hair bobbles, ping pong balls and strips of ribbon or fabric. As with anything, not all toys are suitable for all cats, supervision is required with all toys and also regularly check for damage and replace if they show signs of wear and tear. My youngest boy loves to hide himself in the brown paper used for packaging and sneak attack my other cats 🐱 😂
Agree with most of it! But, Cat Tree UK (https://cattree.uk) make far better cat trees...!