Is Your Cats Strange Behavior Brought On By Stress?

Is your cat acting out of the ordinary? Do they seem to be getting more aggressive to you, members of family, or other pet friends in your home? Do they seem afraid of things they weren't afraid of previously? Or are they afraid for no reason at all? For any of these or any other strange behaviors it is crucial that you find out what is causing them so they can be stopped.

What most cat owners don't know is that the sudden changes in their cats behavior could be a result of stress. If you are like most cat owners and are not sure how to help your feline friend then here is a little helpful advice.

Understanding Stress in Cats

Cats just like many other beings are vulnerable to stressful situations. Any event that comes on suddenly changing your cats environment or someone new joining the household can cause serious stress to your cat. Some cats take on the change with little or no behaviorial issues at all, however most cats do not react this way. Most cats feel threatened and display these insecurities by being aggressive, or withdrawn. No matter how minor the change could be, most likely your cat is going to feel stressed out and react to it. Some of the changes that stress out your cat include: Moving, and not only moving to a different house, but also just moving furniture around in your home. (Especially if its their cat stuff you're moving.) Another stressful event is when a new member joins the family whether it be a new person moving in or a new pet.

However, it may not always be a change in your cat's environment that brings out stress related problems. It could be that your cat has an illness that you are unaware of. It is always worth visiting your vet if its behavior does change and there have been no obvious changes in or around your home that could be the cause.

Now that you have identified the reasoning for your cats behavior, you are now ready to deal with it.

Dealing with Feline Stress

Depending on what the stressor is, going to directly influence the action you will be taking. However, no matter what the stressor is, patience will be the key to overcoming it. Let's say you've just moved homes. The action here would be to give your cat it's own 'room'. Their 'room' is going to be their safe place. You will only expose them to their room at first. After, you will gradually be introducing the rest of the house. You will have to leave their room available for them, so when they get overwhelmed or scared at any point they can run back and destress in their room, and if they know this is their safe place, they will be doing this automatically.

For other stressors or when your patience is wearing thin you could always go to commercial products to assist you. One product which is call 'Rescue Remedies' which includes the ingredient Bach Flower Essence is used to assist in letting your cat relax a bit. This product is not only used for cats, but many other animals and even for humans. This is how it works when it comes to cats. You will put 2-3 drops in their drinking water. This is a quick and simple way to relieve a little cat stress. At times cats will not drink the water with this product in it because it can taste the acohol content. If this is the case you can put the rememdy behind their ears.

When dealing with your cats behavioral problems, first know that stress is a contibuting factor. So, if your cat is displaying any strange behaviors notice the recent changes or people that could be stressing out your cat.

Have a cat behavior problem that needs solving? If so, visit http://www.secretsofcats.com today to get expert information on how to train your cat and eliminate cat problems fast.

- Kathrynn Kelley