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How to Tell Your Cat Is Stressed

Moggie Marketing

02 Feb 2024 1 min read

How to Tell Your Cat Is Stressed

Cats are masters at hiding their emotions, but with stress being a trigger of certain behaviors and medical conditions it is essential to learn how to identify it. If you learn to recognize your kitty’s stress, you will then be able to figure out what stresses them out and thus help avoid those stressors, making life better for your cat fam.

There are 2 types of stress our cats can suffer from: acute stress and chronic stress.

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Signs of stress

Signs of acute stress

  • Immobility: shaking body crouched on top of all fours, head lower than body, tail tucked close to body, eyes fully open with dilated pupils, ears flattened back, whiskers back
  • Vocalization: distressed meow, yowling, growling or silence
  • Aggression if approached, hissing, drooling
  • Involuntary urination or defecation

Signs of chronic stress

  • Being hyper alert, jumping at the quietest sounds
  • Urine spraying indoors, defecation in inappropriate places, not using litter tray
  • Increased resting or pretending to be asleep
  • Changes in general behavior: not wanting to play or groom, overgrooming becoming either clingier or more withdrawn, agression
  • Increased scratching on surfaces or facial rubbing
  • Not wanting to eat or overeating (depending on personality)
Cat Image
Cat Image

Cats, like us, can experience stress due to various factors, which compromises their overall happiness and health.

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Physical symptoms of stress

As well as causing changes in your cat’s behavior, stress can also lead to physical symptoms: diarrhoea and vomiting, skin sores caused by overgrooming, flare-ups of cat flu, poor coat condition, frequent squatting and pain when passing urine (cystitis) and even eating unusual things such as plastic or wool.

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Is your kitty keeping active?

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