Cat Behavior Science
Overgrooming is one of the common behavioral problems in cats. Cats naturally love to be clean, and they often lick their fur to keep it clean, which helps hair fall off and promotes blood circulation. In addition, grooming also has the function of self-relieving emotions. However, overgrooming becomes a problem when cats lick, bite, or chew their fur excessively due to stress or anxiety, leading to hair loss and skin damage.
Signs of excessive grooming
Excessive grooming usually occurs in areas such as the sides of the abdomen, forearms, or inner thighs. The hair in these areas will show signs of baldness, the hair may become short and thick, and the skin may also have abrasions and scratches. Not only domestic cats, but also big cats such as lions and tigers in zoos can develop similar problems due to anxiety or stress.
Causes of excessive grooming
Stress and anxiety are often the main causes of excessive grooming in cats. Cats are creatures of habit, and any small change, such as the addition of a new pet or new person, a change in diet, changes in cat litter, moving furniture, or even the owner's vacation, may trigger unusual behavior. Although cats are good at hiding their emotions and may act seemingly normal even when they are feeling anxious or stressed, excessive grooming and protest behavior can reveal their true emotions.
Cat’s protest behavior
Cats peeing outside the litter box can be the result of a medical issue such as kidney disease or a urinary tract infection, but more often than not it's a sign of protest. Cats will often urinate in a visible area, such as a bed, chair, or table, as a way of expressing frustration. It is important to understand that cats are not retaliating or punishing their owners, but are trying to communicate their displeasure. Punishing your cat won't help; the best solution is to identify the cause of the problem and fix it.
Strategies to Help Anxious Cats
1. Provide a safe and comfortable environment
To help your cat live a healthy and happy life, start by making sure they feel at home in your home. Animal behaviorists recommend that cats have separate areas for sleeping, eating, and litter boxes, but some cats will happily share these areas with other cats. It is also a good choice to provide a cat tree or a bed with a view of the scenery outside the window to let the cat "see the world".
2. Create a colorful environment
An enriched environment is great for cats who love to scratch furniture. Cat scratching posts or cardboard can be used to provide distraction, and cat grass applied to the scratching post can encourage use. You can also put double-sided tape, foil or cellophane on the furniture to prevent cats from scratching the furniture. Regular nail trimming (every two weeks) will also help so that if your cat scratches, there will be less damage.
3. Dealing with aggression during play
When dealing with a cat's aggressive behavior during play, you should observe whether it is overly stimulating and excited. If the cat has dilated pupils, is confused, has its tail swaying slowly from side to side, is crouching with its ears close to the top of its head, or is about to jump up, the owner can make noises or whistles to distract the cat, and give it a short rest to calm down. If you are bitten or scratched, do not fight back. Stop playing immediately and allow more than five minutes to cool down.
4. Dealing with cat-to-cat aggression
Cat-to-cat aggression often needs to be mitigated through environmental adjustments. Cats in the household may hiss when a new cat comes home, this is normal. Make sure each cat has its own food bowl, water bowl, sleeping and toilet areas. If cats continue to fight, separate them for a week and bring them home at the same time to help redistribute territory.
5. Supplements
There are many cat foods and supplements on the market that contain natural calming ingredients, such as casein and tryptophan, which can relieve anxiety in animals, such as Royal Canin's prescription food 'Calm'.
Managing cat aggression
Cats sometimes display aggressive and biting behaviors, but usually do not display true aggression. When a cat suddenly turns around and bites or scratches while being petted or played with, it may be because he is overly excited. If a cat has no companions, it may lack normal behavioral regulation as it grows. Cat-to-cat fights, although sometimes violent, are usually not serious and are generally acceptable as long as they do not cause serious injury.
How to make your cat feel safe and comfortable
- Provide a safe and comfortable environment: Cats should have separate areas for sleeping, eating, and litter boxes. Some animal behaviorists recommend that cats should have separate places to sleep and eat, but many cats are happy to share these spaces. A cat tree or a window bed with a view are also good choices, where the cat can observe the outside world and be entertained for hours.
- Create a colorful environment: Provide a scratching post or scratching board and rub a small amount of cat grass on the board to encourage cats to scratch in allowed areas. Ways to prevent furniture from scratching include using double-sided tape, foil or cellophane.
- Dealing with aggression during play: Observe if your cat becomes overly excited while playing, use noises or whistles to distract, or temporarily stop playing.
- Dealing with cat-to-cat aggression: Make sure all cats have separate areas for feeding, drinking, sleeping and toileting, and rejoin them at appropriate times.
- Supplements: Supplements with natural calming ingredients, such as casein and tryptophan, can be a gentle supplement for anxious pets.