Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller.
Cats and cheese. Two of my favorite things on the planet. Not necessarily together, as it usually ends up with too much cat hair and too little cheese (since most of my cats also seem to love lactose-laden food).
When I think of cats and their personalities, one of the books that always encapsulates their personalities for me is the infamous Who Moved My Cheese? The international bestseller—nothing to do with the cheese movement—but really about confronting change.
Unfortunately, all my cheese-loving cats still haven’t learned to read in English, so that’s where today’s missive comes in: how can you help your cat cope with change?
Change is everywhere, and our pets are better able to deal with it in some things, and worse in others. They do not share our concern about the future, but at the same time, they do not have the opportunity to prepare for change.
Common Types of Changes Cats Experience
- New additions to the household, which can include anything from new people moving in, children born, new pets adopted…
- Moving house, which results in both a change in place, smell, and often people too.
- New girlfriends or boyfriends arriving.
- The loss of a family member, whether human or another pet, can completely change a cat’s life. In my career, one of the things I’ve learned to accept is that cats can grieve. We didn’t learn this in vet school, that’s for sure. But cats grieve. Again, and again, I have families of patients telling me about their cats, grieving for a lost cat, or dog… or even a person. Cats are complicated little furballs, in the best way. We have a long way to go to fully understand them!
- Our schedules and the potential for major changes. Covid is a great example of how our schedules can involve cats. Suddenly everyone was working remotely, at home… adopted pets… many never spent a day without their owner, until, suddenly, they had to go back to the office. Some schedules still thrive, but this adds to the instability of the household, at least from a cat’s perspective.
What Happens When You Get Stressed?
Stress in cats can manifest in a variety of behaviors, including, but not limited to:
- Overgrooming (also called psychogenic alopecia if you like the sound of the word)
- Urine or feces marking outside the box
- Changes in appetite
And these are just some of the signs that are known to occur. If only cats spoke English!
Ideas to Help Make a Cat-Friendly Change
So, how do we turn the tables, and keep aged cheddar in its place, so to speak? Modern feline medicine has made leaps and bounds (or leaps, if you think like a cat) in terms of what we can do to help cats adapt to change.
- Cat pheromones. There are some fascinating studies on different parts of pheromones. Defined by a vomeronasal organ, which humans retain only in the most basic sense, they allow the detection of chemical messengers. Plug-in diffusers are now common ways to help cats adapt to new situations that may be stressful. Remember that most need to be started before the stressful event!
- Familiar scents are not only associated with pheromones. Blankets from home, or shirts from favorite people can help bring a sense of home to a clinic, or otherwise strange place. Or alternately carry the scent of someone who may be away from home back home.
- Consider Facetiming your cat! It may sound strange, but pets often benefit from Facetime from a family member. If a former member of the household has gone off to college, a video call can help offer some work back to a cat dealing with change.
- Make sure that changing accouterments, like cat carriers, aren’t just foreign objects that pop up before a stressful event (like a visit to the vet).
- Consider bringing tech into the scenario. Pet tech is developing quickly, and can be interesting for you and your cat. A treat-dispensing camera that lets you see and talk to your cat, and dispense food at will, can help alleviate some of the stress of change- for you and your cat!
- Make sure your cat has a safe place at home – undisturbed, quiet, away from major traffic areas, so they have a reliable and consistent home base.
- Talk to your vet. Sometimes, medical help is needed, which may include behavioral counseling or behavior-modifying medication.
- Embrace change, yourself. If you are stressed, your cat is likely to pick up on your change, in addition to whatever else is going on.
Let’s face it. Stress, is, by definition, stressful. But, with the right mindset and preparation… you can move someone’s cheese. Even cats…
