Any feline veterinarian asked to chat about their workday will surely mention some of the frustrating maladies that come through the door like clockwork: recurrent feline upper respiratory illness, stubborn overgrooming, and longstanding urination “out of the box”. These extremely prevalent ailments have something in common, and it is day-to-day stress.
At this point in our conversation, the cat owner is often tipping his or her head slightly to the side, as if they are suffering an inner ear infection. “Stress?” they say. “He doesn’t have a job and doesn’t want one, still gets three squares a day and all the naps, doesn’t concern himself at all with the price of gas. Can you really be suggesting that his stress level has brought about all these urine problems?” In point of fact, these items are, statistically, closely associated. The definition of cat stress, though—this is the foreign concept which may initially seem hard to grasp.
According to specialists, feline stress results mostly from the clash between their modern, pampered existence and the parts of their brain which cling to a fierce and uncivilized evolutionary heritage. A set of guidelines has been developed to help these two facets of cat behavior coexist, entitled “The Five Pillars of Environmental Enrichment”. It’s a pretty cumbersome term that will, nevertheless, serve you well when conducting internet searches. Here’s the synopsis:
Thing One: Cats love to have a thing to climb and a place to hide. It does not have to cost any money; it only has to make them feel safe and, perhaps, a little superior. It has to allow them a chance to get away from other pets and from humans when they choose. It’s all about choice for cats.
Thing Two: Your cat does not want his food and potty together. (You don’t want that either, right?) It’s best if these items are decidedly isolated from one another, and better still if he has to investigate multiple drop sites throughout the home to find little portions of food. That provides daily exercise for the body and brain. Evolution made felines into sleek, skillful stalkers and hunters; modern life made them into heavyset, screaming, clock-watching ankle biters.
Thing Three: Cats love to chase and murder, or at least to role play with catnip mice, ribbons, and lasers. It’s great for their mental health (and yours!) if a daily play session is blocked out on your calendar. Expect alternating periods of arrogant indifference and bloodthirsty feather frenzy. Both phases are essential to a good workout.
Thing Four: Cats enjoy spending time with people who are calm and reliable. They find comfort in routine. And, they always need to be in the driver’s seat. Let them approach you for interaction, instead of the other way around. Allow them to leave when they wish. If they find your behavior to be predictable and peaceful, you, as a person, will move smoothly into the “well-tolerated” category, which is probably the most we can hope for as human beings.
Thing Five: Cats can smell far better than you can. Used litter boxes are, for them, a punch in the face. On the other hand, their instinct is to mark meaningful items with pheromone traces that are undetectable to humans. Placing a scratching post in your home is a kind gesture that shows you empathize with their need to communicate in this unique, private way.
All this is not to say that we can replace medicine with feathers and cat trees. If, however, you’d like to treat your cat to something special, something that will really mean something to him, check the list. You may end up with a cat that is not only happier, but also healthier.
Dr. M.S. Regan