Could Stress be the Cause of Your Cat's Strange Behavior?

Is your cat acting out of the ordinary? Do they seem to be getting more aggressive to you, members of family, or other pet friends in your home?

Do they seem afraid of things they weren't afraid of previously? Or are they afraid for no reason at all? For any of these or any other strange behaviors it is crucial that you find out what is causing them so they can be stopped.

One common cause of a sudden change in a cat's temperament which many owners are unaware of is stress. So could your cat be suffering from stress and if so, how can you help?

Understanding Cats Under Stress

Just like many humans, animals are also sometimes vulnerable to stress. When something or someone new enters your cat's territory, it can leave them feeling threatened. If they do feel uneasy then they are likely to start acting differently and this usually results in either aggression or withdrawal.

Even the smallest of changes affects your cat. While some cats can successfully deal with change without any major problems, most will take any form of change really badly.

So if you move, bring another pet into the home or bring another person into your cat's life, it can really change your pet's behavior.

However, it may not always be a change in your cat's environment that brings out stress related problems. It could be that your cat has an illness that you are unaware of.

It is always worth visiting your vet if its behavior does change and there have been no obvious changes in or around your home that could be the cause.

Now that you have identified the reasoning for your cats behavior, you are now ready to deal with it.

Dealing with Feline Stress

How you deal with your cat's stress will depend entirely upon what it is that your cat is stressed about. Sometimes patience is the best remedy and this is especially the case when you move homes.

Start by placing the cat in one room and allow it to become familiar with the house gradually. By giving the cat its own room, it will start to feel safer in there and when it does feel threatened once it is exposed to the rest of the house, it will automatically go into 'its' room to relax.

However, sometimes patience alone will not help. In these cases, it might be a good idea to purchase commercial products to help. Rescue Remedies can help to calm your cat and one particularly good one includes Bach Flower Essence.

Helpful in both animals and humans, you should place 2-3 drops of the remedy into your cat's drinking water. This should provide quick relief for your pet once it has drank it.

However, not all cats will drink water with the remedy in it because the alcohol content can be too much. If this is the case, then you can always place the remedy behind the cat's ears.

When dealing with your cats behavioral problems, first know that stress is a contributing factor. So, if your cat is displaying any strange behaviors notice the recent changes or people that could be stressing out your cat.