Behavioural changes in Stressed Cats

Abstract:

             Domestic cats encounter to a variety of stressful stimuli, which may have a negative effect on the cats’ welfare and results a number of behavioural changes. Some of the stressors include

1. Changes in environment

2. Inter-cat conflict

3.A poor human–cat relationship 

4.The cat’s inability to perform highly motivated behaviour patterns. 

          Some of the main strategies to prevent or reduce stress-related behavioural problems in cats are environmental enrichment, appropriate management techniques to introduce unfamiliar cats to each other. As the stress response in cats depends, to a large extent, on the temperament of the animal, breeding and husbandry strategies that contribute to the cat developing a well-balanced temperament are also very useful.

Introduction:

       The term ‘stress’ has been widely used in biology to describe a set of physiological and behavioural changes elicited by noxious or unpleasant stimuli. The term ‘stress’ should be restricted to conditions where an environmental demand exceeds the regulatory capacity of the organism, in particular when such conditions include unpredictability and uncontrollability. In domestic animals, stressors can be conveniently divided into physical stressors, social stressors resulting from the interactions with individuals of the same species and stressors related to handling by humans.

             According to its duration, stress is classified as acute or chronic. Stressors have additive effects, which means that when several stressors impinge upon the animal at the same time, the resulting stress response will be much higher than if the animal was exposed to one stressor only.

            Several behavioural changes in cats, such as some elimination problems, aggressive behaviours or compulsive behaviours, are related to stress. In this review we will address the behavioural changes related to stress.

Temperament and stress:

The response for stress of a given cat will depend not only on the environment in which the cat lives, but also on the individual’s temperament. Temperament has been defined as “individual differences in behaviour that are stable across time and across situations, and which are mainly related to the animal’s reaction to a challenge.”

             A cat’s temperament depends on its

1. Genetic make-up  

2. Early life experience 

3. Breed 

4. Coat colour. 

                   As for the breed effect, there are two important deductions. First is  that the Persian and Siamese cats are more interactive than non-pedigree cats, while second is that Bengal cats score highest in aggression towards owners and Persians have lowest activity level. Furthermore in cats according to their coat colour, it is consider that orange cats are more aggressive and darker cats more sociable than cats with other coat colours.

Causes of stress:

         Some of the main causes of stress in cats include environmental changes, a barren environment, a poor human–cat relationship, inter-cat conflict, and lack of control and predictability.

           A barren environment that provides few opportunities to express normal behaviour may also lead to stress. For instance, outdoor cats having active time hunting and exploring their territory, and the inability to engage in such behaviours when kept indoors (particularly in a barren environment) may result in stress related problems.

       A poor human–cat relationship is another important cause of stress. In most cases, a poor human–cat relationship is a consequence of either inappropriate socialisation or inadequate handling, such as using punishment. Owners with a lack of knowledge about cat behaviour may contribute to these problems.

               Inter-cat conflict may appear as a result of several causes, including the introduction of a new cat or the reintroduction of a cat that was previously separated owing to a medical problem or other circumstances.

          Competition for resources, such as resting places or feed bowls, may also lead to inter-cat conflict, as the territorial cat does not allow the other cat to access the litter box.

Stress and disease:

          One of the consequences of the stress response is suppression of the immune system function and the development of a new infection or the reactivation of a previous one, for instance, feline herpesvirus: a common cause of respiratory disease in cats. According to a research, cats with high levels of stress are almost five times more prone to develop upper respiratory tract infection than cats with lower levels of stress. Stress has been associated with several gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea or vomiting.

            Stress has an important role in the development of feline interstitial cystitis (FIC), which is the most common diagnosis in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease. This may result in dysuria and haematuria, and very often urinate outside the litter box. Furthermore, there is a clear connection between skin and nervous system. Some dermatological diseases, such as atopic dermatitis or acral lick dermatitis, can be affected by stress, which is likely to trigger or perpetuate pruritus. For instance, a negative correlation has been found in atopic patients between stress-coping skills and levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE); high levels of IgE may contribute to allergic diseases.

Behavioural changes caused by stress:

             In some cases, stress inhibits normal behaviour, and cats will hide for long periods of time, play less, reduce their exploratory behaviour and show fewer affiliative behaviours. In these cases, owners may not be aware of the discomfort being experienced by their cat.

            One of the most serious stress-related behavioural changes in cats is anorexia, which may lead to potentially fatal as hepatic lipidosis. Hepatic lipidosis seems to be particularly common in overweight cats that stop eating because of a stress response. Stress-induced anorexia is mediated mainly by the release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus. CRH influences the hypothalamic activity of controlling appetite and food intake, and modulates the oculomotor pathways involved in the recognition and acquisition of food. Additionally, stress seems to increase food neophobia, and therefore stress-induced anorexia is likely to be more pronounced when cats are given a new food in a stressful environment.

As a consequence of stress, cats may also exhibit compulsive behaviours such as feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS), psychogenic alopecia and pica.

Strategies to prevent and reduce stress in cats:

            Whenever possible, the stressful stimulus should be removed. However, this is not always possible; for example, when the stressful stimulus is the other cat that lives in the same household.In cases of inter-cat conflict, for example, a reintroduction protocol could be used. The protocol is divided into three phases: 

1.Olfactory habituation

2. Visual habituation 

3. Direct contact habituation. 

          The duration of each part is variable, depending on the severity of the conflict, the cats’ response and the owner disposition. In the olfactory habituation phase, each cat is confined to a different part of the household and all important resources (including food, water, litter box and scratching post) are provided in both areas. Each cat is then moved to the other area so that both animals are exposed to the other cat’s odour. Additionally, using a piece of cloth, the secretion of the facial gland of each cat can be applied to the cheeks of the other cats. 

           In the visual habituation phase, visual contact between cats through a mesh door, for instance, is provided when cats are engaged in a pleasant activity. Cats are otherwise kept separated and the duration of the visual contact sessions is gradually increased. 

           Finally, in the last phase of the reintroduction protocol (direct contact habituation), the wire mesh is removed.

Environmental enrichment is a technique used to reduce stress and improve welfare by increasing the physical, social and temporal complexity of the environment. It is not a static change, so should change over time. The main features of an environmental enrichment programme for cats include the following:

•      Provision of a safe area where the cat feels comfortable and has all the important resources.
•      As cats spend a high percentage of time foraging, providing puzzle feeders and hiding food in several places may be very useful.
•         Providing a vertical or a three-dimensional space (e.g, shelves, cat trees or platforms) should be encouraged, as cats use vertical space as a vantage point and as a hiding area.
•         The litter tray, the resting area and the feed bowl should be kept separate.

     Written by: Umair Farooq 

                                    ( College of veterinary and animal sciensces, Jhang campus)

Reference:

Heath S. Behavior problems and welfare. In: Rochlitz I (ed). The welfare of cats. Amsterdam: Springer, 2007, pp 91–118.

Smith BA and Jansen GR. Maternal undernutrition in the feline: brain composition of offspring. Nutr Rep Int 1977; 16: 497–512.

Stella J and Buffington T. Individual and environmental effects on health and welfare. In: Turner DC and Bateson P (eds).