Let's Talk About Stress
Have you ever felt stressed? Did you ever pig out on your favorite treat to help “cope” with the stress? What does your pet do when he or she is stressed? For a lot of pets, their coping mechanism for stress is acting out. For dogs, this may mean destructive behavior, and for cats, it often means inappropriate urination.
Pets can become stressed for many different reasons. For example, there are many dogs that become stressed from thunderstorms or fireworks because of the loud noise that they make. These dogs are often very anxious, will shake, and sometimes have destructive behavior.
Cats tend to handle stressful situations by either hiding or urinating inappropriately. Cats also tend to be much more sensitive to subtle changes in their environment than dogs are. Something as simple as having a guest stay at your house can really upset some cats.
So What Do You Do For Your Stressed Pet?
First, call your veterinarian. We are here to help. Depending on the situation, will depend on the course of action. For example, if you have a dog with a thunderstorm phobia I would discuss the Thunder Shirt with you (works for some pets and not for others), pheromones, and herbal/neutraceutical remedies, and then if all else fails, we would discuss drug therapy.
In the case of inappropriate urination in cats, it’s a bit more complex. First, your veterinarian will probably check a urine sample to make sure it’s not a urinary tract infection. Assuming everything checks out ok, there will probably be a discussion about possible changes in your environment. In most cases, the stressor, such as a new pet, can’t be removed from the situation. Next, a long discussion will probably incur about litter boxes. Cats can be very particular about what type of litter box they have, the location of them, the type of litter used, etc. Most cats tolerate their litter boxes despite what their human chooses; however, all it takes is one stressful event to set them over the edge. If everything checks out and/or environmental changes don’t improve things then the next step may be a pheromone. I personally like to use Feliway diffusers which need to be refilled once a month. The cat pheromone is calming to many cats and helps relax them. A lot of my inappropriate urination patients respond to this step. For those particularly tough cases, drug therapy may need to be used.
To conclude, if your cat ever urinates inappropriately, give us a call right away at 760-753-9393 so we can check for any physical health issues and help with any behavior or stress related issues.
The Drake Center for Veterinary Care is an AAHA-accredited animal hospital located in Encinitas, CA. The Drake Center loves being a source of information for all pet owners across the country; however, if you have any questions regarding pet care and do not live in Encinitas, CA or surrounding cities, we encourage you to contact your local veterinarian.