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Stress in cats: Causes and effects

Stress in cats: Causes and effects

Written by Anne | November 5, 2026

Stress is one of the most common causes for undesired behaviour. It can lead to excessive scratching on furniture, couches etc. It can also cause issues like spraying in the house. There are many different factors that could lead to stress or behavioural issues.

Most common causes of stress or behavioural problems in cats

Moving or remodelling

Cats are very attached to their own space. When you move or remodel, this space is disturbed, which can be very difficult for a cat. Adjusting to that new space can create stress. When you move and your cat goes outside, it will find itself in the territory of another cat, which can also be stressful.

New scents or objects

When your household changes (a baby or a member that leaves the house), the scent around the house changes. This also happens when new objects and furniture are introduced in the house. This can cause stress, as your cat will need to remark the new objects to make his surroundings familiar.

Travel and transport

A visit to the vet is usually quite stressful for your cat. Most cats will run off as soon as they see their owner with a transport box. It’s just not the transport box, it’s also the transport in the car, waiting around with other pets and getting examined by a veterinarian. This situation can be quite a stressful experience. The Feliway spray diffuses a calming pheromone and is ideal for use in a carrier during transport.

Relevant products

Staying in a pension

When you are going on a holiday, you need to bring your cat to a pension if you don’t have anyone to come around and take care of your cat. A stay in the pension can make cats feel very stressed as it needs to adjust to everything around it. Leaving your cat at home is often the better solution, but it doesn’t take away all the stress as someone ‘unknown’ replaces its owner, and there is a change in routine which some cats can struggle with.

Tension between pets

One of the most common causes of stress is tension between pets at home. The presence of a new dog can lead to behavioural issues. Some cats don’t want to move freely around the house anymore. Another complex problem is a household with multiple cats where there are territorial issues. Tensions between the cats can arise in various ways: with the introduction of a new cat that ‘invades’ an existing territory, when there is not enough food, water, scratching and litter boxes, insufficient places to hide or to rest, etc. For example, this could cause competition for a drinking spot, which can cause a submissive cat to experience a lot of stress. This cat does not dare to drink freely when the more dominant cats are around. This cat might seem very calm in appearance, but it will constantly try to keep an eye on the other cats. With these problems, it is very important to provide enough places for cats to drink, eat, scratch, rest or do their business. Feliway Friends is a diffuser that helps lessen the tension between pets in a household.

Threats from outside

A cat that is kept indoors can feel very threatened if he sees a cat passing outside. In these situations, cats are often seen spraying on curtains, or scratching excessively on door and window frames.

Fireworks and other loud noises

Fireworks and other loud noises can really frighten your cat. Your cat may feel threatened and go into hiding or climb the curtains. A fear of fireworks is a very common problem. This fear can generalise towards a fear of everything with a loud noise.

Misunderstanding

Some owners believe that the problems they see in cats comes from jealousy towards a baby, another cat, the dog, etc. However, this is rarely the case. It is almost always a real stress related problem.

Marking their surroundings

When a cat rubs its head on various objects in the house, it marks its surroundings with a pheromone. This gives the cat a sense of security and familiarity. In case of stress or discomfort, the cat stops this behaviour, which will only increase the cat’s anxiety. This can lead to behavioural problems, such as scratching furniture, urinating in the house or spraying. Feliway® and ZenSylk contain a copy of the natural pheromone that makes cats feel safe. By using reassuring pheromones you create a safe and familiar environment for your cat which helps unwanted behaviour to disappear (completely or partially). Feliway® Optimum and the ZenSylk Diffuser are suitable for indoor use (suitable in case of renovation, relocation or when several animals live together). The Feliway® Spray can offer a solution in situations where the vaporizer cannot be used, think of travel and transport and veterinarian visits.

Supporting your stressed cat

Aside from using calming pheromones, like Feliway, you can also give your cat calming feed supplements. Certain chemicals, such as L-theanine, L-tryptophan and several B-vitamins, can have a calming and/or positive effect on the state of mind. Examples of these supplements are Dr. Ann’s Stress Reduction, Zylkene Capsules or Telizen. Products from Puur en Phytonics also contain a combination of calming herbs and nutrients. There are also several feeds that contain nutrients with a calming effect, such as the Royal Canin Calm.

Because stress can also affect the gastrointestinal tract and is an important cause of bladder problems in cats, there are also foods that offer specific support in this area, such as Hill’s Prescription Diet – Gastrointestinal Biome Stress – Cat Food and Hill’s c/d Urinary Care – Urinary Stress – Prescription Diet – Feline or TROVET Urinary Calm UCD Cat.

Do you have any questions about stress in cats and what you can do about it? Please contact our veterinarian via email: veterinarian@vetsend.co.uk.

Read also our other blogs

Pheromones for anxiety and stress in dogs and cats

Pheromones are substances produced naturally by the body that can influence animal behaviour. Dogs and cats use them to warn other members of their species, mark their territory or during reproduction, among other things.

Feliway – Stressed Cat Behaviour

Feliway is an synthetic copy of the cat pheromone: the so-called feline facial pheromone. This cat pheromone is released by special glands and are produced from glands around your cat's mouth, mouth and chin. By rubbing its head along objects - the typical behaviour that everyone with a cat will recognise - the cat gives off the pheromones to its surroundings. This way, the cat marks its territory, within which it feels safe and at ease. The natural marking behaviour with pheromones is essential for the well-being of your cat. The pheromones that a cat releases into its environment by rubbing give it peace of mind, security and confidence.

Dog looking frightened through an open door

Fear and stress caused by loud noises (like fireworks) in pets

Loud noises, such as traffic, trains, loud music, thunderstorms and fireworks, can cause a great deal of fear and stress in pets. This fear may be temporary, but it can also become a long-term problem. Through behavioural training, professional guidance and sometimes additional support, you can try to reduce your pet’s fear. This article explains the available options.

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About the author

Mara van Brussel-Broere, Veterinarian at Vetsend

Graduated as a companion animal veterinarian from Utrecht University, she uses her practical experience to advise customers and share knowledge at Vetsend. She finds it important to provide pet owners with clear information about health and wellbeing.