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.
