Sometimes we make small (or big) changes at home that we believe won’t necessarily affect our cat and its behavior. And suddenly, ta-daaa! After a move, a change of furniture, doing a small DIY project, recurring visits...
Our feline starts scratching, peeing outside the litter box, or becoming more irritable. All this has an explanation and we want to help you avoid it, let’s start!
In general, we assume that cats are not fans of changes at all (whether small or big). In fact, sometimes even a slight adjustment in the furniture, like moving a table, placing a new shelf, moving some pictures… can cause them stress. Now then, why does this happen or what’s the explanation?
Felines need to control their environment completely, that’s why they also tend to rub against almost everything (this way they deposit their pheromones on the different objects that are part of their “property”). These pheromones would be the equivalent of “you can be calm, everything is under control.” So, when we bring in new objects, clean excessively, throw some old ones away… what we are also doing is removing their marks, which gave them so much peace of mind at home.
What specific behaviors can we detect when they are going through that state of stress? Generally, they scratch more than usual, pee outside the litter box, hide often, show some disorientation… There, in those small gestures, stress is latent and we need to do something to help them.
How can we help our feline cope with changes much better? The first and most important thing: don’t get angry if they scratch or pee outside their zone. These are the particular ways in which they are telling you that they don’t feel well with the situation around them. After that, keep maintaining the routines and guidelines that bring order to their life: set meal times, established play and brushing sessions… this way you reinforce the idea of routine and security for them.
Another detail or product you can rely on in these kinds of situations are pheromone diffusers. These release a synthetic copy of feline pheromones that helps to visibly reduce the signs of stress.
Patience, yes, and in high doses. Because poor things, sometimes it takes them a while to regain calm and readapt to their new environment. But surely, in the end, everything turns out wonderfully!
