Is your cat acting out of the ordinary? Do they seem to be getting more aggressive to you, members of family, or other pet friends in your home? Do they seem afraid of things they weren't afraid of previously? Or are they afraid for no reason at all? For any of these or any other strange behaviors it is crucial that you find out what is causing them so they can be stopped.

One common cause of a sudden change in a cat's temperament which many owners are unaware of is stress. So could your cat be suffering from stress and if so, how can you help?

Understanding Stress in Cats

Cats just like many other beings are vulnerable to stressful situations. Any event that comes on suddenly changing your cats environment or someone new joining the household can cause serious stress to your cat. Some cats take on the change with little or no behaviorial issues at all, however most cats do not react this way. Most cats feel threatened and display these insecurities by being aggressive, or withdrawn. No matter how minor the change could be, most likely your cat is going to feel stressed out and react to it. Some of the changes that stress out your cat include: Moving, and not only moving to a different house, but also just moving furniture around in your home. (Especially if its their cat stuff you're moving.) Another stressful event is when a new member joins the family whether it be a new person moving in or a new pet.

However, after you've considered all the stressors above and have concluded that neither of these could be the reasoning behind your cats stress, then it's crucial that you take your feline friend to a vet. Because change is not the only reason for a cats behaviorial problems it's important to rule out illness. Yes, illness could be one of the reasons your cat is acting strangely.When a cat is ill they cannot tell you the what is wrong with them so their behaviors will change in hopes you will notice or just because of the pain they're in.

Once you have found the cause of your cat's stress, you can then focus on dealing with the problem.

How to Deal with Feline Stress

How you deal with your cat's stress will depend entirely upon what it is that your cat is stressed about. Sometimes patience is the best remedy and this is especially the case when you move homes. Start by placing the cat in one room and allow it to become familiar with the house gradually. By giving the cat its own room, it will start to feel safer in there and when it does feel threatened once it is exposed to the rest of the house, it will automatically go into 'its' room to relax.

For other stressors or when your patience is wearing thin you could always go to commercial products to assist you. One product which is call 'Rescue Remedies' which includes the ingredient Bach Flower Essence is used to assist in letting your cat relax a bit. This product is not only used for cats, but many other animals and even for humans. This is how it works when it comes to cats. You will put 2-3 drops in their drinking water. This is a quick and simple way to relieve a little cat stress. At times cats will not drink the water with this product in it because it can taste the acohol content. If this is the case you can put the rememdy behind their ears.

Overall, stress can be a contributing factor to your cat's bad behavior. So if you notice that your cat has started to act strangely and if it has started to spray around the home or act more aggressive than usual then you should think about any changes that may have occurred in and around your home recently. Relieving your cat's stress should eliminate sudden bad behavior problems. If all else fails then you should take your cat to the vet.