Stress Ball for Cats

A stressed cat can be both annoying and destructive. He needs a means of managing his discomfort. Give him ways to occupy his mind and he'll be less likely to dwell on stressors and more likely to remain calm. Toys that pique a cat's interest, such as cat balls, serve well to reduce a cat's stress.

  1. Stress Causes

    • While a cat's life may seem the dream, filled with naps and lounging in the sun, changes to his routine or his home can cause him stress. The cat is a natural control freak who correlates change with potential threat to his survival. Illness is a common stressor. Another is relocating from one home to another: The inevitable disruption of routine is upsetting enough for a cat; but because he's territorial and he's been forced to inhabit a strange space, he'll may be on edge for some time after you've settled in. Too many pets in the home can stress cats. Not all cats get stressed by new people, but some do. Even something simple like rearranging your furniture can cause feline stress. Rearranging the furniture may mean that you have eliminated his favorite hiding place or his path to safety when playing chase with other pets. Now he has to rethink his escape plans. Travel, loud noises and changes in diet incite a degree of stress in your pet that may range from hardly noticeable to disturbing.

    Stressed Cat Symptoms

    • Depending on your cat's personality, you may not be able to tell when he is mildly stressed, but even the most resilient feline will eventually shows signs of stress if the condition causing the discomfort is not resolved. Symptoms of a stressed cat range from something as innocuous as pacing, hiding or a loss of appetite to spraying or illness. Your pet may pace, tremble or pull out his fur. He may claw at the furniture or rugs, or he may develop acne under his chin.

    Cat Ball Options

    • Cat balls are among many toys that can help a cat get his mind off things that bother him. Cat balls come in different sizes with different features. You may want to buy your pet a ball filled with catnip or containing a bell that tinkles every time it moves. Shiny foil toys will catch your feline's gaze. You can invest in a cat track, which traps a ball between two tracks. Your pet can swat at the ball to make it move, but he will not lose the toy beneath the couch.

    Homemade on a Budget

    • Providing your pet with a toy fits into anyone's budget. Wad up a piece of paper and toss it across your cat's path. If the paper ball is small enough, he can even be taught to play fetch. You can roll a Styrofoam ball in catnip, then cover the catnip with yarn to create a lightweight ball that is not only fun to swat around but easy for kitty to get his claws into.

    Not Too Many at Once

    • The goal is to reduce your cat's stress. But providing him too many toys at one time may have the opposite affect. Limit his toys to one or two at a time, and avoid trying to force your cat to play if he is not in the mood. Leave the balls accessible, but back off and give him some space. Let him make the decision to play in his own time.