Signs Of Stress In Cats

Cats and Stress
It is a known fact that stress is a component of or the start of most common cat behavior problems and even some common diseases. Unlike other species cats tend not to show their emotions openly and instead they become quiet and withdraw in their anxiety. For owners to be able to help their cats they must be aware of the signs of stress in their cats. There are several physiological systems in a cat’s body which regulate stress. The two that deal with usual short-term stress in a cat are the HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) and the sympathetic nervous system. These are the systems which regulate if the cat will fight or give flight while under stress. Unfortunately these systems are not able to deal with chronicor or long-term stress and this is the kind of stress that plays a major role in behavioral problem development and diseases related to stress in cats. …show more content…
If a mother cat is stressed while she is pregnant or if she has received poor nutrition during pregnancy her litter might be prone to stress development and the non-adaptive coping strategies which form the basis of lots of common behavioral problems in cats. Owners might recognize stress in their cats if their behavior changes abruptly. Acute stress can be caused as a result of an unexpected incident or threat and this kind of stress is quite easy to recognize in cats. Some of the signs can include immobility, the body crouched on all fours and shaking or tail held close to the body among other kinds of