Are more timid cats more prone to stress?
Are more timid cats more prone to stress?
Timid cats are indeed more prone to stress, and they are prone to being startled by small movements and experiencing severe stress reactions. For example, they may be startled when strangers come to the house or when there is a change in the home’s décor. Therefore, if the cats in the house are timid, owners should try to minimize the factors that can easily lead to their stress, such as keeping the environment in the house stable to avoid causing stress injury to the cats.
Cats with timid temperament are determined to be more prone to stress reaction, which is a physiological and psychological reaction of cats in the face of stress or threat, and may be manifested as vomiting, diarrhea, over-excitement, and other symptoms. Serious cases may even lead to the death of the cat. Therefore, if the cat at home is timid, you should try to avoid its stimulation. Let’s learn more about the factors that can easily lead to cat stress and prevent it.
What to do if your cat is prone to stress
Stress in cats is a complex and varied phenomenon that usually involves significant changes in emotion, behavior, and physicality. In stressful situations, cats experience a series of neurophysiologic changes that put the body in a state of combat readiness. The cat may experience shock symptoms such as decreased blood pressure, increased vascular permeability, and decreased blood concentration. If the stimulation continues, it may also lead to lesions in the cat’s organs and even sudden death. Therefore, it is very important to avoid letting the cat have a stress reaction as well as the owner’s treatment after the cat has a stress reaction.
The main manifestations of stress reaction in cats are: when the stress is mild, the cat may show nervousness and uneasiness, such as hiding in dark, hidden corners and carefully observing the surroundings. However, if the stress is more severe, the cat will show more serious stress reactions, such as loss of appetite, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, etc., and even lead to urinary incontinence.
Timid cats usually have the following characteristics that make them more susceptible to stimuli and stress reactions:
1. Emotional richness. Cats that are good-tempered, non-biting and clingy are generally emotionally rich. Once there is an external stimulus, it is easy to accept it and show obvious stress reaction.
2. Very sensitive to unfamiliar environments and environmental changes. For example, cats that hide in fear when there are strangers in the house or when they hear the courier ringing the doorbell, as well as cats that are frail and sickly, are more likely to get sick when they are under stress. It may also be upset when some new furniture or appliances are added to the home.
For cats that are prone to stress, there are a number of steps that owners can take to reduce the likelihood of stress. For example, provide a stable living environment for the cat. Avoid frequent moves or changes in home layout to minimize the impact of environmental changes on the cat; keep the home quiet and avoid excessive noise and stimulation, such as stereo, train or car noise. In short, minimize the factors that can easily frighten the cat. Owners should try to create a quiet and comfortable environment for their cats in order to avoid unnecessary stress injuries to their cats. In addition, for timid cats, appropriate socialization training is also very important, which helps to enhance their self-confidence and ability to adapt to new environments.
After discovering that the cat has a stress reaction, the owner needs to calm the cat in time, but if the cat rejects the owner’s touch, the best thing is to provide it with a quiet environment, don’t bother it, and let it stay quiet by itself. When the cat’s mood recovers, then further appease it well. If the cat has a serious stress reaction or the stress symptoms have not been relieved, it is recommended to take it to the vet hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid causing more harm.