In the News: Tails of Marin
By Laura Hazard
How to have happy, stress-free cats
When a cat acts out, it's usually because of a change in the household routine or within the cat's own body, meaning illness or injury. Illness and behavior changes because of stress can turn into a vicious cycle. Stress can cause illness and illness can cause stress.
When Tiger is reacting to stress, no behavior modification will be effective if he is ill. If your cat receives a clean bill of health from a veterinarian, then look for triggers in his environment. A cat's basic needs are food, water, a clean litterbox, warm places to sleep and companionship. All of these should be provided in a stress-free environment.
The dictionary defines stress as "a specific response by the body to a stimulus, such as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism." When Tiger is confronted by something he perceives as potentially threatening, his body is put into alert mode. This triggers hormones to flood the body, readying it for action.
If these chemicals are not resolved, either Tiger will act out toward his environment (for example, toward you, another pet or family member, or your carpet) or toward himself - exhibiting excessive licking, or becoming ill or depressed.
When you are made uncomfortable by an outside force or stressor, you may turn to a comfort behavior, such as eating, exercise or talking about it.
If there is an unknown noise or animal outside the window, Tiger may also use a comfort behavior, such as restating his territory by marking or urinating outside the box.
A cat cannot reason a threat away by himself, but how do you help him understand that he is loved and safe? One way to reassure your feline buddy is to triple-check that all of his needs are being met.
Food
Your cat needs a high-quality feline kibble and/or wet food. Ask your vet to recommend a few and check the ingredients of cat foods at your local pet store.
Water
Plentiful fresh water is important to cats and many prefer their water straight out of the tap. I recently bought a cat drinking fountain and my older kitty loves it.
Clean litterbox
No one likes a smelly potty: Scoop daily and change litter once a week. Also consider the location of the box - a high-traffic location will not do. No cat likes to be watched while it goes to the bathroom. Cats consider it to be a vulnerable moment and can be easily startled, which could result in kitty being frightened away from that box permanently.
Warm places to sleep
Cats enjoy warm sunbeams. Comfortable places to sleep and relax should also offer safety, so Tiger can escape any outside stress he might face elsewhere in the house.
Time with you
Even though Tiger's body language may sometimes say otherwise, your cat is a very social creature and you are one of the best stress busters for your cat.
Prepare Tiger for a change by increasing the time you spend with him. And increase the dependability of his environment by adhering to a feeding schedule, providing him with play dates with you and consistent, safe places for him to rest.
Then, any changes you make will be met with much more success and a less-stressed kitty.
Laura Hazard is the cat behavior consultant at the Marin Humane Society.
Tails of Marin appears every Saturday in the Home & Garden section of the Marin Independent Journal
