“By far the most common trauma cats face is moving – being removed from their environment and placed in unfamiliar surroundings.” In fact, going to a shelter is one of the most traumatic situations cats face, says Dr. Houpt.
PTSD in cats is an anxiety disorder that can develop following exposure to a terrifying event or situation in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. This disorder can cause cats to change their behaviors drastically.
Signs of Emotional Trauma in Cats and Dogs
Trauma can also manifest as “shaking, hiding, urination and/or defecation when the trigger attempts to interact, howling, pacing, excessive vocalization, and panting,” says Pia Silvani, director of behavioral rehabilitation at the ASPCA's Behavioral Rehabilitation Center.
Distract the cat with a toy or food while you reach your hand around behind his head to touch. Do not reach towards the cat's face with your hand, try to sneak your hand around behind so he think it is still the stick. Rub the back of the neck and head – don't touch any other areas yet.
Often, the signs of a cat fight are subtle and your cat might just seem jumpy and on edge, subdued or lame. They may rush indoors and hide, because cats often feel upset and traumatized after a fight.
Like people, cats can suffer from mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Find out how you can tell if your cat is struggling emotionally and what you can do about it.
It usually takes about one to two weeks for your cat to recover from a soft tissue injury, but you should restrict activity until several days after limping is gone.
The findings show that cats can remember traumatic experiences, and remembering such events can have a lasting effect on their physiology and behavior.
Some common causes include a threat to their territory, such as another cat, or being stroked more than they would like. Cats also have an incredible sense of smell which is much more powerful than ours. Significant changes to the smell of their home can be a real concern to them, but it would not be obvious to us.
Matted fur, overgrown nails, dirty coat: Cats that are not having their grooming needs met are being neglected and may be suffering from abuse as well. This can also happen as a cat gets older and stops grooming herself as well; the owner may not be aware that they need to start handling some grooming for an older cat.
You may notice your cat sits differently, their facial expression changes or they exhibit strange behaviours. Often crouching and looking tense indoors. Ears rotate backwards frequently or flatten downwards. Wide open eyes with very dilated pupils which makes their eyes look black.
Changes in body language, including ears held back, tucked tail, and hairs standing on end. Meowing more or less than usual or making low-pitched, mournful meows. Lack of energy or a decrease in activity level. Retreating from humans or other family pets.
Cats that have been abused can appear severely maimed and damaged all over their exterior. Some may appear to be in perfect shape on the outside, although all of the damage they sustained may be internal or emotional. Even though physical damage is bad, emotional damage is much tougher to fix.
The cat may have seizures, some evidence of trauma to the head or other part of the body, bleeding into the eyes, or bleeding from the nose or ears. A cat with brain trauma may have difficulty regulating her body temperature, causing either too low a body temperature or fever. The heart may beat very slowly.
If we're stressed, our cats can get stressed right alongside us, even to the point of affecting their health. Because of their deep bond, people and pets often mirror each other's physical and emotional states.
Forehead: Very anxious cats are often extremely tight in this area, which is often linked to the appearance of wide, staring eyes and tension around the base of the ears.
It appears that cats can sense human moods as well as depression. Cats are observant and intuitive, and this allows them to understand emotional cues from humans. So when you are depressed, they can sense that too. In particular, cats may come in closer proximity when their fur parents are depressed.
When abuse occurs during a sensitive stage of a cat's development, it can have a profound impact on the rest of their life, even if the cat is subsequently removed from the abusive environment. An older animal may bounce back from a bad situation, but a young, impressionable cat will show lasting mental scars.
Overhead movements or certain noises may frighten an abused cat, triggering a long-term memory of prior trauma. It's possible your cat will carry that unpleasant memory for the rest of his life.
Unprovoked aggression, whining, or whimpering. Overly submissive (rolling onto back, tail tucked, urinating) Suddenly avoiding any physical contact. Attempts to bite or scratch when petted.
For many cats, minor misdemeanors seem to fall in the short-term memory category so it is likely all will be forgiven within a few hours to days. Kittens have a relatively short memory and can appear to be more forgiving than older cats.
When frightened, some cats may hide, try to appear smaller, pull their ears back and be immobile. Other cats may show signs of agitation or aggression, such as dilated pupils, arched back, pilo-erection (hair standing on end), and hissing.
Little did we know, cats help our mental health just by being themselves. Their ability to reduce stress, offer companionship, heal with purrs, and offer their services as therapy animals makes them the ideal champions for mental health.