Signs your cat is stressed and anxious!
Notice your cat hiding in the cupboard when the doorbell rings? Or hissing at friends who come over? Your cat may be stressed and using their flight or fight instinct. Here are some common signs your pet is stressed and needs attention.
It is important that you manage and reduce stress in your cat as a stressed animal can become mentally unstable and physically unwell. Cats may lose their appetite, be sick or spray urine on furniture and hiss at you. Notice and monitor your cat’s behavior towards people, new things and their current environment to eliminate stress triggers.
Common signs of anxiety:
- Urinating outside their litter box and spraying on walls
- Stomach problems - Loose motion or Constipation
- Refusing to eat food
- Licking of patches of fur off or aggravating skin
- Excessive meowing - they are definitely in distress and trying to tell you something
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Excessive napping for many hours together
- Scratching and destroying furniture - more than the usual
- Hiding a lot
- Hissing at you or guests
- Aggressive towards other pets or animals
- Reluctance towards playing and any exercise
- Uninterested in anything - you calling them, food and treats, toys, etc.
- Crouching on the ground or twitching
- Gazing endlessly at a fixed spot or into space
Consult a vet or animal behaviorist if you notice many of these indicators in your cat as they may be struggling with anxiety. This problem can be fixed by making changes to their routine, lifestyle, diet and environment.