Cats love to keep us guessing, and they often keep to themselves when they aren’t feeling well, which just makes things more difficult for us and them. Pain, stress, and anxiety are all things that we do not want our cats to endure, so we need to pay close attention to identify problems.
“It can be difficult to distinguish between the three states,” says Pamela J. Perry, DVM, PhD, behavior resident, Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Pain can be due to injury or illness and result in stress or anxiety, and stress can be due to feeling fearful or anxious, or of being in pain.”
Signs of Stress in Cats
“Cats show that they are stressed in various ways,” says Dr. Perry. Stress can be brought on by direct conflicts (such as not getting along with another pet in the house), injury or illness, or by lifestyle changes such as moving or frequent company. Some cats may only show their stress in one way, while others may show multiple behavioral changes.
Signs of stress in cats include:
- Escaping
- Hiding under the bed or elsewhere in the house
- Urinating or defecating outside the litterbox
- Aggressive toward the owners or other cats or pets in the home
- Grooming less
- Spending less time playing and more time resting
- Fewer interactions with others
- Becoming “needier”
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Change in appetite (usually decreased)
- More vigilant and startling easily
“Less frequently, cats may begin to show repetitive behaviors, such as overgrooming, when they are chronically stressed,” says Dr. Perry. Any change in your cat’s normal behavior could be an indication of stress.
Signs of Pain in Cats
Younger cats are more likely to have acute pain from an injury, while older cats can have chronic pain related to osteoarthritis or other health conditions.
Common signs of pain include:
- Vocalizing
- Flicking the tail
- Pacing and restlessness
- Limping
- Refusing to eat
- Hiding
- Unkempt appearance
- Avoiding being handled
You may also notice some more dramatic expressions and postures if your cat is in pain. “He also may show changes in his facial expression, or “grimace,” squint his eyes, lie “hunched up” with his legs tucked underneath him, or show aggression when approached or touched,” says Dr. Perry.
The exact signs of pain that your cat exhibits will vary depending on where he hurts and how much. Cats with an acute injury may be more likely to cry out, while cats with chronic pain may be more likely to hide and have a poor appetite.
Signs of Anxiety in Cats
“Anxiety is a generalized feeling of apprehension in anticipation of something that predicts a potentially negative outcome,” says Dr. Perry. “For example, a cat may become anxious in the car because she has learned that car rides lead to trips to the veterinary clinic.” Yes, an anxious cat is stressed, but the anxiety causes her to become stressed before the actual event has taken place.
“Anxious cats show various body postures, facial expressions, and behaviors,” says Dr. Perry. These include:
- Dilated pupils
- Ears lowered and turned back
- Crouching
- Spending more time hiding
- Acting vigilant
- Walking with a low posture
- Flicking the tail
- Suddenly grooming excessively
Your cat may also show more general behavioral changes due to anxiety. “Anxiety also can be manifested as urine marking, eliminating outside the litter box, or other behavioral changes, such as aggression,” says Dr. Perry.
When to Seek Help
Occasional stress, anxiety, and pain are all normal parts of life, but we don’t want our cats to experience these negative states for prolonged periods of time.
If your cat seems painful, make an appointment with your veterinarian. Call a veterinary behaviorist if your cat’s anxiety or stress is a chronic issue or if it is interfering with your cat’s ability to lead a normal life and enjoy the things she used to enjoy.
Treating Pain
You will need your veterinarian’s help to identify the source of your cat’s pain and treat it. There are relatively few analgesic (pain-relieving) medications that are safe for cats, so never give an over-the-counter pain medication unless you are specifically directed to do so by your veterinarian.
Your veterinarian will prescribe appropriate medications and give you other strategies to help keep your cat comfortable and encourage healing of any injuries.
Treating Stress
Try to determine what is causing your cat stress and remove that trigger if possible. For example, if your cat shows stress behaviors when a neighbor’s cat comes to the glass door, block the door so your cat can’t see the rival. Your veterinarian can also prescribe medications to help.
Treating Anxiety
Just as with stress, the first step is to identify the cause, such as your cat becomes anxious when you turn your stove on because once you burned something and set off the smoke alarm—your cat is worried that the stove will cause that beeping to happen again. Your veterinarian will help yiou devise a plan to resolve that trigger for your cat and may prescribe medications to help keep her calm.
