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4. Your Cat Is Isolating Themselves More Than Normal
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Often seeking alone and loving their own company, cats are known as independent animals. Cats are special pets in part because of their innate preference for sporadic solitude. But it's behaviour that should not be disregarded when a cat starts to withdraw from their human family members or other household pets more than usual. A subtle but important clue that anything is wrong with the physical or emotional health of your kitty friend is this growing isolation.
A cat could start distancing herself more than usual for many different reasons. Among the main causes is disease or bodily discomfort. When they're not feeling well, cats, compelled to hide symptoms of weakness, often withdraw to calm, isolated areas. This behaviour is a legacy of their natural background; exhibiting vulnerability could attract predators to them. Dental problems, arthritis, digestive problems, or more major diseases like kidney disease or cancer are common health issues that could cause further isolation. Any kind of pain can lead a cat to withdraw in order to deal with their misery.
Another major element causing a cat to withdraw is stress and worry. For cats, changes in the home surroundings—such as moving to a new house, adding a new pet or family member, or even rearranging furniture—can be rather disturbing. Under these pressures, they could withdraw and search for peaceful, safe areas where they feel more comfortable. Especially if a cat feels threatened or unable to reach vital resources like food, water, or litter boxes without running into a perceived competition, conflicts with other cats in the house can also cause increasing isolation.
Additionally influencing a cat's inclination to sequester herself more is age-related changes. Cats entering their elderly years could show cognitive loss akin to that of human dementia. Called feline cognitive dysfunction, this disorder can lead to disorientation, anxiety, and changes in social behavior—including more isolation. Older cats may also feel more vulnerable due to sensory changes in vision or hearing, which drives them to seek out peaceful, familiar environments where they feel comfortable.
When you observe your cat distancing herself more than usual, you should gently and patiently handle the matter. Fight the need to compel conversation or drag them from their hiding places since this could raise their stress and maybe make things worse. Rather, pay great attention to their behaviour and search for any other indicators of disease or discomfort such changes in food, litter box behaviour, or grooming habits.
Given the possible weight of the underlying causes, more isolation calls for a visit to the veterinarian. A careful physical check might help rule out or find any medical problems underlying your cat's altered behaviour. To have a complete view of your cat's health, your veterinarian might advise blood tests, urinalysies, or other diagnostic procedures. Should medical causes be eliminated, your veterinarian may advise seeing a feline behaviourist to handle any psychological or environmental causes of the seclusion.
There are things you can do to help your cat feel more comfortable and safe in the interim. Make sure they have access to peaceful, safe areas where they might withdraw from overload. Create tall areas with shelves or cat trees to provide cats control over their surroundings and protection. Eat, play, and pay attention consistently; consistency helps to lower stress. Have polite, nonthreatening conversations so your cat may approach you on their terms. In some situations, pheromone diffusers or sprays meant to create a peaceful surroundings for cats might also be beneficial.
Recall that your cat's means of expressing that something isn't right in their environment is increased isolation. Your cat's well-being will be ensured and your relationship with them will be strengthened by paying attention to this behaviour shift and obtaining professional aid when necessary, therefore helping to discover and resolve possible environmental or health problems.
