No cat owner wants to imagine that their feline friend can get stressed. It happens, though. Cats have quite an extensive emotional range and can experience a wide range of feelings similar to you, including stress, anxiety, and depression. The question is, is it possible to tell when your cat is stressed? If so, what can you do about it?

5 Signs Your Cat Is Stressed

Cats show signs of stress that all cat owners should familiarize themselves with. Keep these five signs of cat stress in mind to ensure you give your kitten the attention and care your furry friend needs to understand the underlying cause.

1: Lots of Grooming

It’s natural for cats to groom themselves. They will use their tongue and paws to maintain their adorable fur, which is always fun to watch. There is a point where it becomes too much – if your cat seems to be grooming excessively to the point where you may even notice sore or bald patches on their skin and fur, it’s time to get them assessed at the vet.

2: Urinating Outside the Litter Box

If your cat is fully trained yet urinating outside of the litter box, that is a cause for concern – and not just because it’s an annoying and stinky find for you! If it happens just once, that might be something you can simply put down as being a mistake. If it’s happening several times, it might mean that you should consult your vet, as your cat is likely trying to communicate that something is wrong.

3: Hiding

A cat playing hide and seek now and again is nothing to worry about. However, if your cat isolates often, to the point where you sometimes can’t find them for hours on end, then that’s a cause for concern. Cats like to hide away and be alone when feeling stressed or sick, so get your cat checked out if this keeps happening.

4: Ongoing Meowing

Another sign of stress in cats is increased vocalization. It’s like they are telling you that something is wrong, and you just need to listen! You’ll usually notice the difference between your cat’s usual meowing and when it becomes excessive.

5: Aggression

Cats who are feeling highly stressed may appear more aggressive than usual. This aggression might be expressed to other animals or people and might involve the cat hissing, scratching, and biting. It’s definitely not something you should ignore – especially if your cat was previously calmer.

Causes of Cat Stress and What to Do About It

So, you now know the most obvious signs of cat stress; you likely want to know the most common causes and what you can do about it. After all, no one wants to see their adorable furry friend suffer. That’s why it’s so important to get to the root cause of stress and do everything you can to make your cat feel better.

Illness or Injury

Unfortunately, it’s not always obvious when your cat is unwell or injured, as they may try to hide it. If you’re noticing signs of stress, the cause could be an illness or injury, so it’s important to take them to the vet’s office as soon as possible. Be sure to invest in good cat health insurance to cover unexpected costs like these. Vet bills can climb quite high – you don’t want to be unsure about whether or not you can pay for a surgery or treatment that would make your cat’s health better! A healthy cat is a happy cat, and if you get your cat treated, you’ll see their old self come out again before long.

Other Cats/Pets

Cats don’t always get on with other animals, especially pets they are not used to. If your cat shows signs of stress during or after interacting with another cat, dog, or any other animal, then you likely know the cause. In this case, it’s best to keep your cat away from animals they don’t live with. If you’re bringing a new member of the pet family home, always introduce your cat slowly so that you don’t cause too much stress to either party. Eventually, they will learn to co-exist or even become friends!

A Change in Environment

A change to your cat’s environment might be the cause of the stress. If you’ve recently moved home, you can expect your cat to feel at least apprehensive during the first few weeks while they get used to the new space. Keeping them in a single room with items (like blankets) that smell like the old place will help them adjust. Even more minor changes that don’t involve a big move can cause stress, especially if it affects the space your cat usually likes to hang out in. For example, if you change sofas or move furniture, that might stress your cat out at first.

Death of a Loved One

It’s true – cats are affected by the death of family members, much like humans are. If someone in the household has recently passed away (including other pets), then that might cause stress for your cat. In this situation, it’s best to show your cat that not everything has changed by maintaining its stable routine. Little things like always feeding your cat at the right time will help them feel more stable at home, even when something has so dramatically changed.

Boredom

Cats need a lot of mental stimulation throughout the day to keep them content. If they are in a small space without anything to do for too long, they will inevitably become stressed. To combat this, purchasing boredom-breaking cat toys like cat scratches, puzzle toys, and exercise wheels will help – especially if your cat lives in a small apartment.

Know the Signs to Watch Out For

With so many different causes of stress, it’s important to know the signs to watch out for. That way, you can help your cat feel better without delay. The last thing you want is for your cat to feel sad and stressed without you knowing about it.

When pet owners think of Hot Spots they typically think that they’re only a problem for dogs. Well, that’s wrong! Cats can develop Hot Spots too! Two weeks ago our cat Romeo (almost 4 years old) developed small itchy spots all around his nose and at the bottom of each ear. Within 48 hours they were dime-sized lesions that were oozing puss. It was time to see the vet.

As the first little spots appeared we thought perhaps he had gotten bitten by a bug. He goes in and out of the house into an enclosed Catio. He is not a free roaming kitty. As soon as we noticed the little marks on and around his nose he started itching and he couldn’t stop itching! We thought it would pass quickly but we were wrong.

48 hours later these marks had opened up to oozing lesions. His eyes were sunken in and you could tell he was feeling miserable. We called the Vet and got an appointment later that day. Boy…were we schooled. We knew that dogs can develop Hot Spots (our grand-dog got them from time time) but had no idea that cats can develope them too. On top of that, they itch them much more frequently and if they still have their claws can rip them open in record time.

After the examination the Vet started him on a long-lasting injectable antibiotic (she gave in the office) and high doses of oral steroids. For one week he had to take 2 pills at night with his food (the steroids) and then for weeks 2 and 3 that decreased to one pill every other night. It ook 4 full doses before we finally saw the improvement and turnaround in him.

Because of all of the itching and scratching he had to wear the cone of shame for 5 days. Boy, he wasn’t happy about that! He was super excited when we were able to take that thing off of him. For a week he had to stay completely indoors, no Catio for fresh air and relaxation. His appetite had decreased but finally took off like a rocket once on the steroids.

We’re 12 days into this now and I’m happy to report that he’s doing well. The sores are 90% healed up and his hair has started growing back in. He’s back to his happy, playful self and eating great.

In the future we now know that if we see any of these tiny Hot Spots crop up…to get him into the Vet immediately. As each day ticks by those spots get worse and worse without medication and intervention. If your kitty develops them, please get them in to see a Vet sooner than later.