Stress in cats

What stresses cats? 

Various factors can cause stress in your cat, including interactions with people and the environment. However, a large proportion of a cat’s stress comes from interactions with other cats. 

If your cat is sharing key resources (litter trays, food and water bowls, scratching posts, beds, toys etc.) with cats they don’t get on with, this can cause them a great deal of stress. This is because they will compete with other cats for access to these resources, which may cause conflict. Cats may also compete over outside territory, especially if they are living in a neighbourhood where the cat population is high. This is because cats are naturally territorial and are not naturally sociable like dogs, so they may not enjoy social interactions with other cats and can see them as a threat.  

Some owners can inadvertently play a part in increasing their cat’s stress levels. This can be through wanting more contact than their cat is comfortable with (such as picking them up frequently) or being inconsistent in how they behave towards their cat., For instance, if the cat is punished for an unwanted behaviour, such as scratching the carpet,. this can damage the relationship between a cat and their owner, as the cat may view their owner as unpredictable and choose to avoid them or even act defensively by scratching or biting. .  

The home environment can also play a role in increasing a cat’s stress. Being confined indoors, being bored, having restricted access to hiding places where the cat feels safe, or enough clean litter trays, for example, can all be very stressful for some cats. 

Is all stress bad? 

Systems within a cat’s body control the release of hormones that prepare the cat to face a challenge, often referred to as the fight/flight response or acute stress response. This stress response is essential to keep a cat safe and for their survival.  

However, these systems are less well adapted to dealing with chronic or long-term stress, and this is the type of stress that plays a significant role in the development of behavioural problems and stress-related diseases in cats. 

Why are some cats more prone to developing chronic stress than others? 

The ability of an individual cat to cope with challenges depends on both genetic and environmental factors. The development of systems involved in the stress response starts before a kitten is even born. If the mother cat is exposed to stress during pregnancy (prenatal stress e.g,. poor nutrition, illness, injury or if she lives in an unsuitable environment), her kittens may be less likely to cope in certain situations than other cats who have not been exposed to prenatal stress. This can make her kittens more prone to developing stress-related issues later in life. A lack of early socialisation and opportunities to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a typical domestic home may also result in life being very challenging for a cat late

How can I recognise stress? 

 Stress can be considered acute (sudden in onset) or chronic (continuing or recurring for a long time) in cats: 

Acute stress 

Acute stress may be caused by an unexpected incident or threat and is relatively easy to recognise in cats. 

Many of the following signs may be seen: 

• Freezing  

• Shaking 

• Tense posture and muscles, often crouched down 

• Rapid breathing 

• Tail – tucked in close to the body  

• Head – lower than the body, motionless and pulled in towards the body 

• Eyes – fully open and staring or looking away with rapid blinking 

• Pupils – wide and fully dilated 

• Ears – lowered or fully flattened back on the head 

• Whiskers – drawn back 

• Vocalisation – plaintive miaow, yowling, growling, hissing (may be silent) 

• Swallowing and drooling 

• Nose  licking  

• Passing urine or faeces without meaning to 

• Attempts to run away/escape  

• Reactivity if approached e.g,. vocalising and swiping  

• Arched back and fur standing on end (often a brushy tail and along the back like a ‘Halloween’ cat) 

Chronic stress  

Chronic stress is more difficult to recognise as it can develop over a long period, and the signs may be more subtle. It’s more likely to affect patterns of behaviour and routines, such as: 
 

• Not eating, grooming, passing urine or faeces as normal, or over-eating (depending on the cat’s personality) 

• Resting more or ‘pretending’ to sleep 

• Hiding 

• Becoming more dependent on owners or becoming withdrawn from social interactions (depending on the cat’s personality) 

• Becoming reactive towards people/other cats 

• Heightened startle response (jumping at the slightest noise) 

• Playing less 

• Changes in behaviour e.g., spending significantly more time indoors 

• Passing urine or faeces (soiling) indoors  

• Urine spraying indoors  

• Over-grooming,  

• Pica (wool eating)  

• Increased facial rubbing and scratching on surfaces 

• Displacement activity (repetitive out-of-context behaviour, such as grooming during conflict with another cat) 

• Redirected aggression (onto a target that is not the original source of threat) 

Stress-related diseases such as feline idiopathic cystitis are also linked chronic stress in cats.  

What can I do to help relieve or prevent stress in my cat? 

If you can care for your cat and respect their needs, both as a species and as an individual, you stand the best chance of preventing or reducing chronic stress. Remember – things that stress your cat could be things that you don’t find worrying at all. 

Cats, being solely responsible for their survival, are constantly risk assessing, looking for the presence of threat and danger in every new location or social encounter. Being predictable in your behaviour and creating daily routines is a great way to minimise stress.  

The number of cats you keep should be considered carefully, particularly if the local area already has a significant resident cat population as this can add pressure. 

The number of resources you provide for your cat (or cats) within the home (i.e., food bowls, water bowls, litter trays, beds, hiding places, high perches, scratching posts and toys) should always be enough to satisfy their needs and prevent competition for resources. A good formula to use to calculate the appropriate number of each resource is “one per cat plus one extra, positioned in different locations”. Read our articles on making your home cat friendly and multi-cat households for more information. 

 Getting the relationship with your cat right is always a challenge, and being sympathetic to their emotional needs as an individual is the key to stress-free living. A confident, social cat will always want more attention than a timid one, or one who didn’t have appropriate socialisation as a kitten. Allowing your cat to initiate contact with you, so they feel they have choice and control over the interaction, is probably the easiest way to establish the quality and quantity of affection that they want.  

If your cat is allowed outdoor access, the times they go out should ideally be left for your cat to decide. If the outside territory is being ‘time-shared’ by several cats, there may be very specific times during the day when your cat will feel safe and others when the garden is a much more dangerous place. Cats have a complicated communication system using scent to relay messages about the timings when certain individuals are in the area and so your cat will be the best judge of when it’s appropriate to have some fresh air! Find out more about cat communication in our separate guide. 

If your cat is kept exclusively indoors, you’ll need to provide a dynamic and challenging home environment for exercise and entertainment, to prevent boredom and frustration. Cats need to behave like cats for their emotional and physical health, so providing your cat with a setting that is as close to their natural habitat as possible, with objects to climb, for example, is essential. If you prefer you cat not to free roam but have a garden, you might want to consider installing a ‘catio’ or enclosing your garden so that your cat can remain close to home, but still enjoy some of the benefits of being outside.  

It’s unrealistic to expect a life for your cat that has no potential stress triggers, but appreciating what those triggers might be and keeping them to a minimum will reduce the likelihood of any problems developing because of chronic stress. 

When to contact your veterinary team 

If you’re worried your cat could be suffering with stress, contact your veterinary team for further advice.