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Dealing with Stress in Your Cat

As more families add cats to their homes, businesses should provide a variety of soothing treatments to assist these pets relax.

Dogs are known for being the emotive and sensitive pets, while cats are regarded as emotionally cold. However, appearances may be deceptive. Feline anxiety and stress can be just as detrimental as canine stress and anxiety.

Cats are creatures of habit, and even the tiniest change in routine, diet, environment, or schedule may result in fearful or aggressive behavior or improper elimination, where cats urinate or defecate outside of their litter boxes. This can be particularly frustrating for the family, who may have to deal with soiled carpets and clothing. Soothing remedies are available to help your cat relax.

It’s not only about fixing behavioral problems, though; if left unaddressed, it can put strain on or even break the bond between the pet and its parent.

Fortunately, specialty shops that specialize in pets can play a significant role in breaking this vicious cycle by educating and assisting pet owners with the knowledge, resources, and soothing techniques they require to manage their cats’ stress.

Causes and effects

Determining when and why a cat is stressed is the first step toward alleviating it. Because cats are unable to communicate, pet owners must utilize alternative forms of communication instead.

Retailers can aid in the communication gap between cats and their guardians by educating owners about the typical indicators of stress in cats, such as self-isolation, pacing, excessive shedding, overgrooming, weight loss, lack of appetite, diarrhea/constipation, aggressiveness, spraying, increased vocalization and urinating or defecating outside the litter box.

Pets also need assistance in determining the source of their stress. Triggers may include things like boredom, overstimulation, loud noises, new people or animals, moving houses, and changes in routine or intrusion of their personal space.

Simple grooming activities, such as trimming claws, can be stressful for both the cat and the owner. Getting a cat into a carrier from everything from vet visits to travel is almost every cat owner’s nightmare.

Stress Relief

In an ideal world, pet owners would be able to remove all of their cat’s stressors. However, because we do not live in an ideal world, manufacturers have come up with various methods to keep cats quiet.

After years of being misunderstood, cats are finally having their day. More top cat behavior experts and feline-only veterinarians are accessible to cat parents. They recognize the importance of controlling a cat’s stress for the entire family. In addition, they are looking for solutions to their problems. 

It’s an excellent opportunity for companies to sell a wide range of items while also learning about the benefits of each.

Cats are often more nervous around guests, travel, and holidays, which is especially true as the globe begins to open up once again. More people will be hosting visitors, traveling, and celebrating holidays in the future, causing cats’ anxiety response. Having soothing treatments on hand will be critical as pet specialty stores and their employees become a popular “go-to” resource for pet parents.

Every cat is different, therefore offering a wide range of soothing help items is critical. One effective option is sprays, chews, and infusers that utilize pheromones and cats’ natural instincts to power them.

Felines have a specialized organ on the roof of their mouth known as the vomeronasal organ, or Jacobson’s organ. This gives cats 10 times more smell receptors than humans, making pheromones essential in their communication. For example, a mother cat uses facial pheromones to help her young ones feel safe. Tapping into this natural communication, pheromone-based products mimic these messages to help cats reduce stress-related behaviors without using drugs or chemicals.

Products containing cannabidiol or CBD are also becoming increasingly popular as a soothing remedy. According to recent research, there was a 4 percent boost in the usage of CBD products for cats during the 2020-2021 period.

People who have used CBD on their own and been satisfied with the outcomes are naturally switching to this hemp-based treatment for their pets. As a result, the last several years have witnessed a boost in the number of calming-specific items. People see what works best for them and look for comparable alternatives for their pets in order to share the same wonderful outcomes.

It’s crucial to realize that CBD research is still in its early stages. However, many pet owners claim that CBD is a powerful way to not only relieve cats’ anxiety, but also help them live a healthy life.

CBD is the most holistic treatment around. It works with the nervous, physiological and immunological systems – the entire body – and it’s effective for a wide range of illnesses and ailments. The majority of cats benefit from high-quality hemp-derived CBD administration.

Settle in and unwind.

Dogs have long dominated the pet industry, but studies show that within homes with pets, cats outnumber dogs. Creating a wellness area just for cat-specific items is one way to capitalize on felines’ growing popularity and distinguish your store.

Dogs and cats are two different species, thus products should be breed-specific. Pet owners want to know that the items they’re entrusting their cats with are intended just for felines and aren’t interchangeable unless they have both dogs and cats in the home.

cat-specific products are needed by retailers, which means they must have more cat-specific goods on hand.

Of course, education is one of the most useful selling tools available to merchants, given the category’s recent introduction.

Retailers should have a basic understanding of the elements in the soothing items they sell (whether herbs, flowers, amino acids, vitamins or CBD). It’s a good idea to carry businesses that make instructional materials and training sessions available to employees.

Because many pet parents begin their search for a solution before they ever set foot in a store, businesses should meet them where they are – online. Consider including educational content and resources about stress management on your website or social media sites.

Category signage should also be heavily reliant on education to assist consumers in locating the ideal soothing aid product for their needs.This might include advertisements for soothing medications or messaging that connects behavioral problems, such as aggressiveness or bathroom issues, to stress.

In-store events, such as behavior education workshops with local animal shelters or product demonstrations, are a fantastic method to engage and educate people.

We’ve had a lot of success with executing Collaborative Campaigns and Giveaways for Companna. One-on-one conversations have given consumers information on how CBD based medicines can benefit them. As a halo effect, these Colabs have also served to educate employees and friends about the advantages of CBD for cats.