Spot
the Stressors in Your Cat's Life
Written by Dr. Laxmi Iyer
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Introduction
What's
a stressor? Well, you know what they are in your
life. Pressure at the workplace, heated discussions,
family problems, time constraints, energy constraints...the
list is long. Why? Even sweating it out in the
hot sun or chilling it out in the cold winter
night can be very stressful. What's the result
of all that stress? The big " I" word
- Illness.
If
you take a quick look into your pet's life, the
same observations hold good.
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Of course, it's more difficult to understand the dynamics
and the politics of a cat family or a dog family...because
you are only human.
What can stress your pets may be things you may never
imagine...It could be the buzz of construction work coming
through from the next door apartment or even that new,
large, colourful (but frightening! Statue - for your pet)
- that you may have unconsciously placed close to your
pet's regular sitting place.
There
are some signs that you can watch out for and some measures
that you can take to minimize the chances of this happening.
12
ways to minimize stress in your cat's life
-
Give
your cat personal space
This is very important because just like you, your
cat also needs that little space around to feel comfortable
in.
- Give
quality time and attention
However busy you may be, always take time off to be with
your pets. Give them attention and tender, loving care and
watch the difference.
- Be
consistent in your behaviour
Always react in the same positive way with your cat. The
tone that you use while talking to your cat is how your
cat learns to identify your mood. So, always remember to
use a pleasant tone of voice that is at once bright and
cheerful.
- Don't
scold or punish your cat
This cannot be overemphasised. That's because however much
you may be irritated, never allow that anger to reflect
on you while you are with your pets. Scolding them unnecessarily
can make a bad behaviour worse. In fact, it can set a trend
of stereotyped repetitive, destructive behaviour patterns.
This may vary from wool sucking to pica to even damaging
furniture and walls and sometimes yes - even spraying all
over the house.
- Watch
out for the bully cat
When you have a family of cats as pets, always remember
there's one going to be one big, male cat who's going to
be there - sometimes terrifying the little ones. Make sure
that you give separate space to the smaller kittens and
younger cats - far away from the bully cat.
- Minimize
noise
Noise! You may not realize this. But noise can severely
stress your cat simply because their levels of hearing are
far more acute than yours. So, the sound of vehicular traffic
which you may have barely noticed in your new apartment
building can be very stressful for your cats.
- Play
a game everyday for at least 10 minutes
Games reduce stress like few things can. They help distract
your pet while at the same time keeping your pet entertained.
Besides playing a game, always take care to make sure that
each of your pets have their own toys to play with.
- Avoid
using strong perfumes
It's important to make note of this because your cat has
a wonderful sense of smell. Strong perfumes though pleasant
to your nostrils can actually irritate your pet's Watch
out for it!
- Check
the nutrition
In adequate nutrition or a poorly balanced diet can be damaging
to your cat's health. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can
also cause stress. Consult with your veterinarian and make
sure that you are giving your cat a well balanced diet.
- Observe
your cat for signs for stress
It's very important to make a note of stress signs in your
cat. Stress can show up in different forms. It may be seen
as repetitive grooming done to an excess, or in a repetitive
up and down pacing of the rooms. It can even be seen as
patches of fur that look suscpiciously like a skin infection
but are in fact patches of fur pulled off by your cat while
you were away at work.
- Measure
cortisol levels
The cortisol levels always go high in a cat that's very
stressed. That's one clear cut laboratory test to confirm
your vet's suspicion about stress. Of course, once diagnosed
the second difficult problem begins and that is identifying
the stressor.
- Discourage
your cat from wool sucking
Wool sucking can be dangerous for your cats. If left unchecked
it can cause your cat to chew up everything from fur on
the coat to carpets and even electric cords. Woolsucking
often transforms into pica wherein even litter material
and faeces may be eaten up.
Conclusion
Many times, the habit which begins in kittenhood stays
uncorrected and continues to be a lifelong addiction
with dangerous consequences. The Siamese, Burmese and
Himalayan breeds of cats are especially prone to wool
sucking. It appears to be an inherited condition.
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