Cats are emotional animals with sensitive temperaments, which is why they suffer from stress more often than many other pets. Like people, cats can feel sad, worried and anxious, and they can even become depressed. How can you tell your cat is stressed? What causes stress in cats, and how can you help? What can you give a cat to calm it down? We answer all these questions in this article.
Why Stress Is Dangerous for Cats
Every cat owner should be able to recognize stress in their pet and know how to help. In the wild, cats are experts at hiding signs of pain and stress so they don’t become easy prey for larger predators. Our pet cats inherited this ability, so only attentive owners will notice that something is wrong. Pay attention to any change in your cat’s behavior so you can help as quickly as possible.
A cat under chronic stress becomes emotionally and physically unwell. Stress weakens the immune system, making the cat more vulnerable to infections such as cat flu, and it can trigger or worsen conditions like feline idiopathic cystitis (bladder inflammation). Chronic illnesses flare up, and the cat takes longer to recover. Over time, a stressed cat’s appearance suffers too: its coat becomes dull and thin, it may lose weight, and dandruff can appear.
Signs of Stress in Cats
Here’s what to look out for first.
Physical Signs
- Diarrhea.
- Loss of appetite and vomiting.
- Overgrooming, bald patches or sores on the skin.
- Watery eyes.
- Sneezing or a runny nose (stress can reactivate cat flu viruses).
- Eating non-food items.
- Lethargy and sleeping more than usual.
- Overeating or drinking more than usual.
- Sudden weight loss or gain.
- Going to the litter box less often.
- A poor-quality coat.
- Frequent or painful urination, or blood in the urine.
Behavioral Signs
- Any change in habits.
- Peeing or pooping outside the litter box.
- Aggression toward family members or guests.
- Excessive meowing.
- Aggression toward other pets.
- Becoming overly clingy and constantly demanding attention.
- Avoiding contact with you.
- Being on edge and overreacting to loud noises and sudden movements.
- Seeming withdrawn and uninterested in what’s going on around it.
- Hiding and not coming when called.
- Refusing to go outside (in cats that usually do).
- Refusing to play (in playful cats).
- Crouching low to the ground and looking tense.
Other Signs
- Staring blankly at one spot for a long time.
- Ears turned back or flattened.
- Rippling or twitching skin along the back.
- Gulping food quickly.
- Head shaking.
Most of these signs can also be symptoms of illness. Take your cat to the vet to rule out a medical problem before assuming it’s “just stress.”
Causes of Stress and How to Help
Many things can upset a cat. Let’s look at the most common causes of stress and how to help your cat in each case.
Separation Anxiety
Some cats become anxious when separated from their owners. Over centuries of living alongside people, cats have bonded so closely with us that some develop behavior problems when left alone.
Every cat shows this differently. Some scratch furniture and wallpaper or go to the bathroom in the wrong places. Others chew cables or knock over plant pots. This destructive behavior is a sign of panic.
When left alone, cats may worry that their food and water will run out. They can be frightened by traffic noise, dogs barking, the doorbell and other sudden loud sounds. Without their person around, they feel unsure of themselves.
How to help a cat with separation anxiety:
- Gradually increase the time you spend away. Your cat needs to learn that you always come back. Short, gradually longer absences teach it not to fear being alone. Start small: step out for five minutes to check the mail or take out the trash. Next time, go to the store for 10 to 15 minutes. Each time you come back, pet your cat and talk to it.
- Turn a stressful moment into a good one. When you leave for short periods, give your cat its favorite treat, or a food puzzle that keeps it busy. With kittens and young cats, try leaving out a special toy that only appears when you go out, and put it away when you come home. Your cat will come to associate your leaving with something fun.
- Keep departures and arrivals low-key, so leaving doesn’t become a big event.
- If the anxiety is severe, talk to your vet. They may refer you to a veterinary behaviorist.
Stress from Inconsistency
Cats can also become stressed and tense when their expectations aren’t met, and this can lead to destructive behavior. This kind of stress is usually caused by inconsistent owners: for example, when a cat is suddenly banned from doing something it was always allowed to do, like sleeping on the bed, jumping on the table or windowsill, or going into the kids’ room or the bathroom. The cat is confused and doesn’t understand what has changed.
How to help:
- Be consistent. If the bed is off-limits, it should be off-limits for everyone in the family. One person shouldn’t let the cat in while another chases it out of the bedroom.
- End play sessions gradually. A cat that’s worked up wants the fun to continue. If you need to stop, wind down slowly, then offer a treat or a meal so the “hunt” ends with a reward.
- Don’t tease your cat with things it can never catch. Cats are hunters, and the catch matters to them as much as the chase. Chasing a laser dot never satisfies that instinct. If you use a laser pointer, finish by letting your cat “catch” a real toy. Wand toys, balls and other toys you can actually pounce on are better choices.
- Think about your cat’s needs. If someone in the family develops a cat allergy and the cat can no longer sleep on the bed, put a comfortable cat bed nearby where it can still see you. A cat flap or pet door lets your cat get in and out of the house and reach the room with its litter box freely.
Stress from Confinement
Being kept in a small enclosed space, such as a cage, for a long time is very stressful for a cat. Cats often experience this in animal shelters, boarding facilities or during quarantine. In a cramped, unfamiliar setting, a cat can lose interest in life, and this can lead to illness.
How to help:
- Contact. Cats need interaction and physical contact with people.
- Somewhere to hide. A box or covered bed in the enclosure helps cats feel safe; shelters often use “hide-and-perch” boxes.
- Fresh air. Air out the room regularly.
- A variety of toys. Make sure your cat always has something to play with.
- Soft music. Some shelters play calm classical music or music composed especially for cats.
If you’ve just adopted a cat from a shelter, give it a quiet room of its own to settle into for the first few days.
Stress from Moving House
Cats are territorial animals that get very attached to their surroundings. Moving to a new home and all the chaos that comes with it is always stressful for a cat.
How to help:
- Keep your cat in a closed room while you pack. Put all its favorite things in that room: its bed, litter box and toys. If possible, have someone from the family spend time with it.
- On moving day, transport your cat in a secure carrier, and make sure its microchip details are updated with your new address.
- When you bring your cat to the new home, put it in a closed room with everything it needs, and leave it there while you unpack and arrange the furniture. Let it explore the rest of the house gradually.
- If your cat goes outside, keep it indoors for at least two to three weeks so it learns that the new home is its territory.
Other Causes of Stress
Cats can also become stressed because of:
- A lack of food or water, or competition with other pets for key resources such as food bowls, litter boxes and resting spots.
- New pets or unfamiliar animals in the home.
- Territory disputes with other cats.
- New family members, including a new baby.
- Renovations.
- Long periods without food.
- Exposure to toxic substances.
- Noisy guests, fireworks or thunderstorms.
- Rough or inappropriate handling.
- Stray or neighborhood cats and dogs coming into the yard or appearing at the window.
- Vet visits and grooming appointments.
- Boredom.
- The death of a family member or another pet.
- Surgery, including spaying or neutering.
- Serious illness.
- Jealousy toward children or other pets.
Find the cause of the stress and, if possible, remove it. That’s the best way to reduce your cat’s suffering.
Preventing Stress
The best way to prevent stress is to anticipate what will upset your cat and deal with it before your cat becomes anxious. To do this, you need to know what triggers your cat. Simple steps help a lot: give your cat hiding places and high perches, provide one litter box per cat plus one extra, and keep food and water bowls in separate, quiet spots.
If you can’t remove the trigger, prepare your cat in advance. Get your cat used to its carrier by leaving it out as a cozy bed. Start a synthetic pheromone diffuser a week or two before a move or a new baby’s arrival. For cats that panic at the vet or when traveling, ask your vet about anti-anxiety medication given before the visit; many vets prescribe it for exactly this purpose.
How to Calm a Cat After Stress
If you couldn’t avoid a stressful situation, help your cat cope. Here’s what to do:
- Find and remove the cause of the stress.
- Distract your cat from the trigger with play, favorite toys, treats and affection.
- Encourage exercise. Cat trees, climbing shelves and play sessions are great distractions. Make sure the activity suits your cat’s age and health: overdoing it adds to the stress.
- Give your cat lots of attention. Pet it, talk to it gently, scratch behind its ears. Do everything it enjoys and finds relaxing.
- Let your cat have quiet time. Never pull a frightened cat out of its hiding place; let it come out when it’s ready.
- Keep to a routine. Feed and play at the same times every day.
Don’t use essential oils or aromatherapy. Many essential oils, including bergamot, peppermint, lavender, tea tree and citrus oils, are toxic to cats, whether diffused, sprayed or applied to fur. Use a cat-specific pheromone product instead.
What Can You Give a Cat for Stress?
Talk to your vet before giving your cat any calming product, and never give your cat human anti-anxiety medications, sedatives or sleeping pills: many are dangerous for cats. Self-treatment can make the situation worse. Calming products for cats come as:
- plug-in diffusers and sprays;
- collars;
- calming supplements and treats;
- calming diets;
- prescription medications.
Common options available in the US and UK:
- Feliway Classic and Feliway Optimum (Feliway Help! in some markets). Plug-in diffusers and sprays that release a synthetic copy of the “facial pheromone” cats leave when they rub their cheeks on things. Useful for moves, new pets and vet trips. Diffusers cost about $25–35 / £20–30, with monthly refills.
- Feliway Friends (Feliway MultiCat). A pheromone diffuser designed to reduce tension between cats living together.
- Zylkene. A supplement made from a milk protein (casein). It comes in capsules you can open over food. About $25–40 / £15–25 for a month’s supply.
- Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements Calming Care. A probiotic powder sprinkled on food.
- Calming diets, such as Royal Canin Calm or Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Stress for cats prone to stress-related bladder problems. Some are available only through your vet.
- Calming collars. Pheromone collars can help some cats, but use only a breakaway (quick-release) collar.
- Prescription medications. For severe anxiety or stressful events like vet visits and travel, your vet may prescribe medication such as gabapentin. Only use these exactly as your vet directs.
Calming products work best alongside changes to your cat’s environment and routine, not instead of them. If your cat’s stress doesn’t improve, ask your vet about a referral to a veterinary behaviorist.
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