Cats can display a wide variety of physical and verbal cues to indicate their levels of stress and anxiety.
Many common situations can trigger these emotions, including car rides, veterinary visits or the arrival of new guests to the household, both human and animal.
There are several behaviors that your cat will often display to indicate feelings of unease and stress. Understanding your cat’s emotional state is the first step to alleviate unwanted symptoms and help your cat feel at ease.
Excessive Shedding
Cats placed in stressful situations will often have a normal physiologic response of excessive shedding.
There are muscles that are tensed and activated during times of stress and there are hair follicles attached to some of these muscles. When the muscles contract several of the hairs, referred to as telogen hairs are released.
This is a natural reaction and cannot be prevented when a feline is experiencing high anxiety.
Excessive Grooming
Stressed cats will often start over-grooming themselves. This will include excessive licking, scratching and biting at their bodies.
Rule out any underlying medical issues first, including allergies to food, fleas or environmental components. Over-grooming can lead to skin irritation or infections, so it is important to monitor this behavior closely.
Tail Position
The tail is a very expressive part of the cat’s anatomy. Many anxious, nervous or stressed cats will hold their tail in a low position and flick it quickly back and forth.
If a cat is displaying this type of tail movement, the pet owner or veterinarian examining the pet should be on guard for any possible aggressive or defensive activity.
Gastrointestinal Upset
Stress may be the underlying culprit for your cat’s gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.
It is best to have your veterinarian rule out medical issues first before blaming it solely on stress.
Hiding
Cats experiencing a great deal of stress and anxiety will remove themselves from the situation and attempt to hide in a location where they feel safer.
Many fearful cats will tuck themselves under a bed, behind couches or even in the shower or bathtub in order to try to reduce the stress they are feeling.
Aggression
In contrast to those animals that react to anxious or stressful situations by hiding, some of our feline pets will react by being aggressive towards other animals or humans in the household. Cats will utilize their claws and their razor sharp teeth when they feel cornered and stressed.
This is one of the reasons why many veterinarians prefer to have pets restrained by trained veterinary technicians instead of by their owners; it’s the best way to prevent misdirected aggression.
Urinary Accidents
When a cat urinates outside the litterbox, this can be secondary to an underlying medication issue, such as a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, kidney disease or diabetes.
If a medical issue is ruled out by a veterinarian, then the cat is more likely displaying a behavioral issue, usually stress and anxiety related to a change in environment, such as the addition of a new family member to the household, a change in the location of the litter box or type of litter material, etc.
Maintaining good litter box hygiene and keeping the litter box in an easily accessible area of the house are two ways to lessen your cat’s desire to urinate outside the litter box while investigating whether stress is the underlying culprit for their inappropriate urination.
Ear Positioning and Pupil Dilation
Cats not only have expressive tails, but their ears can also help indicate their current emotional state.
Stressed cats will often pin their ears back flat on their head as a warning to those nearby. In addition, their eyes will widen and their pupils will dilate in stressful situations. This pupil dilation is secondary to the hormonal response, often referred to as the flight/fight response, initiated in the body during these situations.
Pet owners that are looking to be more attune to their cat’s emotions should consider closely observing ear positioning and monitoring pupil dilation throughout different situations.
Vocalizing
Cats placed in stressful situations will often vocalize to display their displeasure. This can be meowing, growling, hissing or a high-pitched yowling.
During these times of distress it’s best to give your cat space and avoid intense handling or interaction. These can be warning signals that could lead to aggressive behaviors, including scratching or biting.
Silent cats may also be anxious and expectantly lash out on a person handling them in times of stress, so it is best to always take into account your cat’s entire body language.
Heavy Breathing
An extremely stressed cat will display signs of increased respiratory effort. This often correlates to an increase in heart rate and pulse. In these situations, the body is outwardly displaying signs of stress that the pet is experiencing internally.
A normal cat takes on average between 20-30 breaths per minute. Open-mouthed breathing along with panting is alarming and should be considered a medical emergency. So, if your cat is displaying this behavior please contact your veterinarian immediately.
If you are concerned about high levels of stress and anxiety in your feline companion, the safest option is to consult with your veterinarian to rule out any underlying medical issues and decide on the proper approach to alleviate these feelings. Resorting to a mobile veterinary visit may be a good option to research in your area if your cat has great difficulty traveling and being in a veterinary office.
Some suggestions for lessening stress in your cats at home include creating a safe zone in your home, establishing a consistent routine of feeding and playtime, feeding a quality diet, and implementing feline pheromone diffusers in your household.
Over time you will gain a better understanding of which verbal and physical cues your cat displays in times of anxiety and stress, which will allow you to better anticipate and handle these situations. A stress-free cat is a happy cat!