If you are worried that your cat might be feeling stressed out, here are the most common stressors for cats and how to help them cope with them.

Cats are sensitive creatures and can easily feel overwhelmed and stressed. This is a common issue even among housecats that are always kept in a safe space.

If you think that something is stressing your cat out, here are some common things to look for.

Common Stressors for Cats

1. Noise

Cats do not like loud or harsh noises. If you have a cat, you have probably already become very much aware of this fact.

They are hyper-aware and have very sensitive hearing, so noises naturally sound louder to them. This can easily stress them out and make them jumpy and on edge.

If you have a cat, try to create a more quiet space for them. Listen to music with headphones on, keep your television at a low volume, and try not to have any loud guests over. This is why children can often be stressors for cats as they are naturally loud.

However, cats may be less sensitive to noise if they grew up in a noisy household.

2. Fast Movements

Fast and spontaneous movements can easily set off cats’ fight or flight response, so try to make slower and more deliberate movements when you’re around them. This is generally not a big deal, but it can begin to negatively affect your cat if it happens often enough.

3. Being Bothered

Bothering your cat now and again isn’t the end of the world. Whether it’s giving them a quick kiss on the head or stroking their tail, it’s one of those harmless things that many people find themselves tempted to do.

But you do not want to bother your cat too much, specifically when they are resting or sleeping. Doing this can cause them to feel on edge and start to have anticipatory stress. Cats do not like to feel like they can’t safely rest around you.

4. New Things

Cats are a bit like us in the way that they do not like change or new things. This could come in the form of a guest coming over, moving, or changing something in their living space. Try to ease into big changes and give your cat a chance to adapt and get used to the new thing. This will help them to feel more in control and at ease.

5. Conflict

Cats do not generally like conflict and can become extremely stressed out if there’s too much of it. This can often happen when cats are living with other animals, which can be an inconvenience to humans, but even worse for the animals. In this kind of situation, it is important to try to create peace between your animals to reduce conflict. To do this you may have to separate them or try and distract them with food or toys.

If worst comes to worst, you may have to consider rehoming one of them to remove the conflict.

How to Reduce Your Cats Stress

Because cats are so easily stressed, it isn’t feasible to reduce their stress entirely. All you can do is try your best to provide a calm and quiet atmosphere for them to live in.

Try to make sure that you don’t do anything that could cause them senseless stress. Such as slamming doors or rushing around the house. 

When adopting other animals always make sure that they can get along with your cat first. Introduce them to your cat slowly to minimize stress. Introducing them in the right way can ultimately make all of the difference.

If you have to make a big change in their environments like moving to a new house or apartment, try to prepare for them. Pack over several days or a week to introduce the change to them. When bringing them to the new place, put out some of their favorite items as well as their food, water, and litter box. Let them wander around and explore room by room.

If you find that your cat is very easily stressed by just about everything, try making a quiet room just for them where they can rest.

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