Dr. Jennifer Creed is a veterinarian with experience caring for various animals in emergency settings. One of Dr. Jennifer Creed’s specialties is the care of cats and making sure that cat owners are adequately providing for their pet cat’s needs. Owning a cat and looking after it properly requires some understanding of cat language. While cats can communicate by meowing, a behavior that most cats reserve for communicating with kittens and humans, most of the cues a human owner can pick up on are behavioral. Signs to look out for that indicate that your cat is ill, stressed, or simply bored usually involve a sudden and problematic change in its behavior. Stress and fear can lead to unusual amounts of grooming, hiding, odd toilet habits, or spraying indoors. These signs indicate that the cat feels unsafe and might need more private hiding spaces or ways to live day-to-day while avoiding scary animals or people. For example, if you own other pets and your cat is getting scared, make sure that the scared cat has a private space away from the other animals. If fear isn’t the culprit, it may simply be that the cat needs more playtime and attention from its owners. Providing playtime with puzzle feeders or setting up dry food hunts can be a great way to enrich your cat’s life and give a chance for play at mealtimes.

1. How to Speak Cat - Signs of Stress, Fear, and Boredom
Dr Jennifer Creed

2. Introduction
Dr. Jennifer Creed is a veterinarian with experience caring for various animals in
emergency settings. One of Dr. Jennifer Creed’s specialties is the care of cats and
making sure that cat owners are adequately providing for their pet cat’s needs.

3. Owning a cat and looking after it properly requires some understanding of cat
language. While cats can communicate by meowing, a behavior that most cats
reserve for communicating with kittens and humans, most of the cues a human
owner can pick up on are behavioral.

4. Signs to look out for that indicate that your cat is ill, stressed, or simply bored
usually involve a sudden and problematic change in its behavior. Stress and fear can
lead to unusual amounts of grooming, hiding, odd toilet habits, or spraying indoors.
These signs indicate that the cat feels unsafe and might need more private hiding
spaces or ways to live day-to-day while avoiding scary animals or people. For
example, if you own other pets and your cat is getting scared, make sure that the
scared cat has a private space away from the other animals.

5. If fear isn’t the culprit, it may simply be that the cat needs more playtime and
attention from its owners. Providing playtime with puzzle feeders or setting up dry
food hunts can be a great way to enrich your cat’s life and give a chance for play at
mealtimes.