Cats in Stress: Recognizing Symptoms & How to Help

What is a Stress Response?

A stress response in cats refers to the body's reaction to various external and internal conditions, producing stimulating and adaptive responses.

When a sudden change in the environment or a stimulus affects a cat, it can lead to the secretion of excessive adrenaline, which acts on various organs, causing severe vasoconstriction of the internal organs and resulting in symptoms such as ischemia. If the stimulus lasts for a long time, it may lead to organ lesions in cats.

Cats' Physical Stress Reactions

Each cat's reaction to the same stimulus may vary, depending on the range of experiences they have during the 29 weeks of socialization. If they have been exposed to many things, cats tend to be more bold, while those with fewer experiences may be more timid.

Timid cats are more prone to stress responses, and things like hairdryers, vacuum cleaners, strangers, or even unfamiliar cats can cause mild to severe adverse reactions.

Generally, stress can cause both physical and psychological reactions:

Psychological: Sadness, depression, and自闭

Physical: Increased body temperature, blood sugar, and blood pressure, faster breathing and heartbeat, pilling, and the onset of diseases

After cats go out for injections, neutering, or changes in the environment, they may still be in a stress period, with weakened body immunity. At this time, it is important not to change their diet and to maintain a good temperature and humidity in the environment, allowing cats to calmly go through this stage.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Stress Responses

Benefits of Stress

Stress responses can stimulate cats' excitement and alertness, adjust the neuroendocrine response, and secrete hormones like adrenaline to increase heart rate, raise blood pressure and blood volume quickly, and improve respiration and blood distribution. Mild stress responses can also reduce stress.

However, these benefits cannot outweigh the drawbacks.

Drawbacks of Stress

Stress responses can lead to significant changes in a cat's mood and even cause behavioral disorders, such as a startled cat suddenly becoming aggressive and ignoring the enemy or friend. It can also lead to increased blood pressure, blood viscosity, and the formation of thrombi; it can also cause an increased heart rate, myocardial ischemia, and ischemia of internal organs; and more seriously, it may lead to severe diseases and shorten the cat's lifespan.

Stress Symptoms and Impacts

Stress Symptoms

There are many reasons that can cause stress in cats, and some situations can cause more significant stress responses, such as:

1. Being forced to go out

If a cat is forced to go out, it will feel a strong sense of unease, with mild stress responses like shivering and hiding; if the stress is severe, it may even cause the cat to become aggressive and ignore the enemy or friend.