Cats, ‘you never get two the same’ is a something we commonly hear from our clients. Our understanding of cats is continuously evolving, both in terms of their behaviour and medical needs. It is becoming more apparent that both are closely related and more medical problems in cats are being associated with stress.
So why are cats stressed? Not all cats get stressed, but some really suffer. A new piece of furniture, a neighbouring cat coming into their territory, a change of food, loud noises are all possible causes of stress to a cat.
Common medical conditions that may be related to stress include hair pulling, cystitis and other urinary problems, inappetence and gastrointestinal upsets.
Urinary problems in cats may present as just a bit of cystitis or can be acutely life threatening in male cats, where a clot of inflammatory cells cause a blockage of the bladder. If for any reason your cat is trying to pass urine and can’t, then this is a life-threatening emergency so take them to your vet ASAP.
So how can we help our feline friends cope better? Certainly, deter unwanted visitors from your cat’s territory, provide lots of places in the house for the cat to hide (they like being up high), provide extra litter trays (you should have one for each cat plus one spare) and consider using pheromone diffusers.
Lucy Travers BVSc CertAVP MRCVS Highfields Vets