Tag Archives: stressed cat

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Tiny Whirlwind!

It’s time for another wacky adventure from the cats-only boarding facility! I’ve mentioned that the first thing I do in the mornings is clean. There are litter pans to change, bedding to shake out, and walls and floors to wipe. While I was doing my work, one of the guests escaped! It wasn’t a cat I would have expected to make a break for it — she’d been shy and quiet throughout her stay. But the door to her kennel was open and out she went! She led me on a merry chase through the facility. First, she dodged in … Continue reading →

Retraining a Stressed Cat

Sometimes, you can’t take the stress out of a cat’s environment. If seeing other animals outside the window is upsetting your cat, you can close the shades or not allow your cat into rooms with windows facing the street. However, if the stressor is something like a new pet or a new baby, you can’t really remove the source! In cases where you can’t remove the source of the stress, you can try desensitization and counterconditioning. Desensitization is exposing the animal gradually to the source of stress. Start with versions that are so mild that they don’t provoke anxiety — … Continue reading →

Taking Care of a Stressed Cat

At the cats only boarding facility, I’ve encountered lots of stressed cats at very different levels of stress — from the shy cat who hides behind her litter box to the panicked cat who lashes out at anyone who reaches into the cage. If your cat is showing a dramatic behavior change, your first step should be a visit to the veterinarian. Illness may be behind the behavior change — being sick can be a big stress on a cat! Rule out any physical causes first, and then you can work on any emotional causes. Some sources of stress could … Continue reading →