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Like humans, cats will feel frustrated when they feel like they’re not in control in some way, when their expectations are not met, or when they don’t have access to the things they want, such as food, play, time outside, or attention.
Like humans, cats can feel frustrated for a few different reasons:
Whilst it is normal for cats to experience some frustration from time to time, if this happens too often, and is experienced too intensely, the cat may be in danger of developing chronic stress. Frustration can affect your cat physically and emotionally and can result in undesirable behaviours, for example, aggression (directed to either people or other pets in the house), demanding or destructive behaviour, ‘spraying’ or going to the toilet outside of the litter tray. Some cats may be more prone to experiencing frustration than others. It is difficult to predict exactly how a cat will behave in a new home. You may find your new cat is perfectly fine, or equally he or she may struggle. What you may think of as a stress-free situation could still frustrate your cat. Your cat’s frustrated body language signs will vary depending on the situation they’re in, but there are some things you can look out for to help you better understand how your cat is feeling. Take a look at our video on understanding cat body language:
Signs your cat is frustrated
Signs a cat is frustrated with you
Why is my cat frustrated?
How can I help my cat's frustration?If you think your cat might be frustrated, it’s important to try and figure out why, and what might be causing it. If possible, the best thing is to help your cat avoid the situations where they are most likely to become frustrated, and to give them choice and control in as many situations as possible. If this isn’t possible however, there are some things you can do to help your cat feel less frustrated: No sudden changes to their environmentMake sure your cat’s environment is relatively predictable. This means that your cat knows roughly what happens when, where all their things are, like food, water and litter tray, and where they can go to have time on their own, undisturbed. Use Puzzle feedersPuzzle feeders make feeding times more interesting and more of a challenge, which is great mental stimulation for your cat. Puzzle feeders are generally made of plastic for ease of cleaning, and come in a range of different shapes and sizes. Some are ball shaped and roll around as the cat paws at them, whilst others are stationary and require the cat to push, scoop or lick at them in order to get the food. Puzzle feeders are designed to be used with either your cat’s treats, or their normal dry or wet food. It’s a good idea to check that your cat is able to access the treats or food in the puzzle feeder so that they find it stimulating rather than inadvertently increasing their frustration. You may need to show them how to use one. To keep the puzzle feeders interesting for your cat, we suggest using a couple and changing them each time you feed your cat. Keep play time engagingPlay is a really good source of mental stimulation for your cat. Some cats may prefer to play with humans, other cats with toys by themselves, and some cats may enjoy a combination of both. When you’re playing with your cat, it’s best to use long rod type toys with a toy on the end of a string so that the moving end of the toy is far away from you, and you’re less likely to get in the way of any playful teeth or claws. String toys should be stored away safely between play sessions, so your cat doesn’t become tangled up and potentially hurt themself. Toys that mimic the size, shape and texture of prey which your cat would naturally chase in the wild, can be particularly good to encourage their interest, and they may particularly enjoy playing with these prey-like toys on their own. Toys impregnated with catnip can also be good for your cat to play with alone, although catnip can be quite arousing for some cats, so we advise that you don’t try to handle or touch the cat whilst it is under the influence! Make sure their environment is stimulatingAn environment that has lots of things to keep your cat entertained will provide them with excitement, fun and opportunities to engage their brain. Cats enjoy both being up high and having a good ‘vantage point’, as well as hiding and being concealed. Provide your cat with an environment that contains lots of elevated places they can climb up or jump on, as well as quiet places they can hide. Provide a mixture of cat trees, cat tunnels and shelving, combined with cat ‘igloos’ and cardboard boxes (see photos). Cats also enjoy exploring and seeking out new sights, smells, sounds, textures and tastes. You can help to stimulate your cat’s senses indoors with the following: You can stimulate your cat’s senses outdoors as well. Take a look at our advice on making your garden or outside space cat-friendly for more information. Make sure they can access to everything they needMake sure your cat has easy and constant access to everything it needs such as food, water, litter trays, resting and hiding places (these should ideally be located in quieter parts of the house), scratching posts, toys and access to the outdoors via a cat flap. We would recommend a microchip cat flap to prevent any other cats from being able to come inside. Keep human interactions on their termsMany friendly cats will greatly benefit from interacting with people, however for cats that are easily frustrated, this can quickly go from being enjoyable to being too intense and frustrating. We would suggest using the CAT acronym when interacting with any cat: ChoiceDid I give the cat a choice to tell me if it wanted to be touched, or am I giving it the choice to move away if it wants to? Am I paying attention?Am I looking out for any signs the cat might be trying to tell me they’re uncomfortable, like tail swishing, or equally any signs they’re happy to be touched? TouchWhere am I touching the cat? Is this a place cats normally like to be touched, e.g. the cheeks, the top of the head and the shoulder blades, and not the tummy? We’ve got more advice on the CAT acronym and how to interact with cats in our advice on how to stroke cats and interact with them. If you are unsure or are still concerned about your cat’s behaviour in any way, we would recommend seeking advice from your vet who may be able to recommend a qualified feline behaviourist. If you rehomed your cat from Battersea, then you can get in touch with a member of the Cattery Team at Battersea for more information and advice using the details you will have been provided.
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