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Medical Conditions - STRESS & CATS |
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Just like us, our feline friends can get upset by changes and feel
stressed. Signs of stress in cats are varied, the most common
being inappropriate urination or defecation, over-grooming, hiding and
aggression. Over-grooming often results in bald areas, usually on
the belly or back. Unfortunately this is also a symptom of
itchiness, such as a flea allergy so this needs to be investigated when
taking your cat to the vet.
Many things can cause stress to a cat’s normally very laid back
existence of 23 hours sleep interspersed with a couple of good
meals! Changes in your cat’s territory can be very
upsetting. All you need is a new cat in the neighbourhood to
cause all sorts of problems. Cats use many forms of body language
to communicate and to avoid a fight; their ears will go back with their
tail swishing. Unfortunately, this does not always deter the
aggressor and fights can occur, usually resulting in a visit to the vet
due to a cat bite abscess.
Another common stress for cats is moving to a new house. All the
familiar smells have gone and your cat must introduce itself into the
neighbourhood, just like a child going to a new school.
Introducing a new cat into an established feline household can also be
upsetting for both parties. The cats should be kept separated for
at least 2 weeks but allowed to wander around the house in the other
cat’s absence so that they get used to the smell and presence of each
other.
It is always important to consult your vet if your cat develops any
change in its behaviour as the change may be due to a medical problem
rather than a psychological one.
In all cases mentioned, there is an easy solution, which will often
help reduce or stop any stress response in cats. It is a plug-in
treatment, like an air freshener, called Feliway and can be bought from
your vets. It should be plugged in and switched on
permanently. It should be placed somewhere in the house where it
can disperse, but not in a draught as it as this will prevent it from
building up to significant levels in the air to have an effect.
The Feliway produces a pheromone, which relaxes cats and reassures
them. It is quite safe to use and is not detectable by
humans. Feliway does not treat all cases of feline stress but it
does help in a large number of cases.
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