Cats can suffer from stress-related illness like humans, a study by animal experts suggests.

Rivalry with another cat is the biggest source of feline anxiety closely followed by moving home or the arrival of a new member of the owner's family.

Experts compared 31 cats with bladder disease to 24 healthy cats in the same households and used a control group of 125 other healthy cats.

Sick cats generally got more stressed by other cats in the house, they said.

Stress trigger

Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, senior lecturer in feline medicine at Edinburgh University's school of veterinary studies, said feline lower urinary tract disease was frustrating for vets and owners because most cases had no apparent cause.

"This group of diseases of the bladder is most commonly seen in pedigree, middle-aged, overweight male cats which don't go out much and eat a dry food diet.

"We believed stress could be a trigger and wanted to identify differences in the cats' environments and temperaments which might cause this condition."

We've always known cats are extremely sensitive and this study highlights a problem more widespread than previously thought

University researchers suggest cats with such illnesses should be fed wet food and encouraged to drink more fluid by adding tuna-flavoured ice cubes to water.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals has welcomed the research.

Spokeswoman Doreen Graham said: "We've always known cats are extremely sensitive and this study highlights a problem more widespread than previously thought."

Source

My cats already eat better than I do.

But yes I have to agree that they get stressed. When my gal pal moved in a few months back, my anti-woman cat became very upset. After attempting to urinate on the offending persons computer keyboard, and a few other antics. She turned ill and started loosing fur.

After a bunch of trips to the vet, and a whole lot of cash.......

We now have her on kitty downers, but the good new is she is being weened off them and has come to accept a new person in the house. (To a degree)

This information is new? I could have told you that. Happens all the time with Christy (my cat ). we bought a kitten to keep her company and now the living room smells reeaaly bad. She's gotten upset every time we've take care of a stray for a while. It surprises me that this is considered new info.

Me and CatAstrofix are the proud owners of a Turkish Van cat , and I can tell you this: If anybody is getting stressed, is definately not the cat! Take a look at the pics, and you'll figure out who's getting stressed while he's trying to lie on the bed and relax, without any interruption.
Can you see the psychosis in her eyes?

[attachmentid=7367]
[attachmentid=7368]

how would of guest sleeping 12 hours a day, eating whenever and frolicking without a care would be so stressful?

i think i stress out my cat, since i'm always annoying it

That's so true, one of my cats had a litter and once they grew the mother became stressed out. My mistake for keeping them as the mother passed away. R.I.P