Tips & Advice: Reduce stress in your cats environment + live Q&A with experts

Hi everyone,

Following on from the recent CATS Protection post of their appearance in the BBC show please find below some handy tips around how to reduce stress for your cat.

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1. Try not to overly stroke or cuddle a cat which is showing signs of stress as it can make it worse.

2. Always provide your cats with easily accessible places to hide and let them stay in there for as long as they want to. A hiding place makes them feel safe and secure and can be something as simple as a cardboard box on its side or upside down. Or you could buy an igloo-style cat bed.

3. Cats feel safer if they can view their surroundings from up high, so make sure they can access somewhere like the top of the wardrobe or a high shelf.

4. Make sure there is enough food, water and litter trays for the all of the cats in the household. The ideal number of litter trays is one per cat plus one extra.

5. Install a microchip or magnetic cat flap, which lets your cats into your property and keeps neighbouring cats out.

For owners who want to understand more about feline behaviour, Cats Protection offers an online learning tool which can be accessed here: http://learnonline.cats.org.uk/content/ufo/

The top tips above have been put together following a recent survey which formed part of the BBC Cat Watch work by CATS Protection.

Cats Protection, which took part in the series, questioned 1,300 cat owners and found that when it comes to dealing with their stressed out pet, more than half (53%) would give it a cuddle.

Being held or stroked for too long can be very stressful for some cats,” said Cats Protection’s Behaviour Manager, Nicky Trevorrow. “Space and peace is often what they need – they’re not small furry humans so what would comfort us won’t necessarily comfort them.

In line with the findings of the BBC programme, Cats Protection’s survey found that cat owners in the UK find it difficult to recognise signs of stress and many are at a loss as to what to do about it. In particular:

– More than half of owners (55%) didn’t realise that living with another cat or dog can be stressful for their pet.
– Half the owners (50%) were unaware that other cats coming into the house could be a cause of stress.
More than a third (35%) let neighbouring cats in, either through a door or window, or their own cat’s cat flap.
– More than half of respondents (51%) failed to identify wetting and soiling in the house as a sign of stress.
– Only a quarter (26%) knew that grooming a particular area all the time was also an indication of stress.

Owners love their animals and want them to be happy,” said Nicky. “But our research has highlighted a lack of understanding of stress triggers for cats and how to deal with them.

CATS Protection will be holding live Q&A sessions on their facebook page (click here) on the following days:

17 October 2pm: Cat behaviour Q&A with Nicky Trevorrow

17 November 2pm: Veterinary Q&A with Maggie Roberts

31 November 2pm: Neutering Q&A with Jane Clements

About Cats Protection

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and helps over 194,000 cats each year through its national network of over 250 volunteer-run branches and 31 adoption centres. www.cats.org.uk

Thanks,

Marc

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15 thoughts on “Tips & Advice: Reduce stress in your cats environment + live Q&A with experts

  1. franhunne4u says:

    My little one upon coming here looked even worse for stress – I did not cuddle her – did let her have a safe space, let her adjust in her own speed – and now she is lieing beside me, purring – to beg for treats. I gave her a special kind of food, too: Royal Canin CALM – they claim that food helps the cat’s chemistry to deal with stress. All I can say – she is way more confident than I ever hoped for.

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