Did you know that you are hurting your cat without even realizing it? No doubt you love your cat, but some of the most normal things you do every single day are quietly damaging your cat's trust and wellbeing in ways you can't see. And the worst part, most owners have no idea until the damage is already done.
Let's start with the one that hurts them the most. One, yelling at them for being bad. Have you ever raised your voice at your cat after they knock something off the counter or scratch the couch?
Most of us have. It feels like the right thing to do in the moment. But here's what's actually happening inside your cat's brain when you yell at them.
They don't connect your anger to what they did. They connect it to you. Cats don't process cause and effect the way dogs or humans do.
A 2021 study in the journal Animal Cognition found that cats exposed to raised voices and sudden negative reactions from their owners developed long-term signs of stress and avoidance behavior. That means every time you yell, you're not teaching them a lesson. You're teaching them that you're unpredictable.
And unpredictable means unsafe. Over time, your cat starts hiding more, grooming obsessively, or flinching when you walk by. not because they did something wrong, but because they've learned that being near you can feel threatening.
And the worst part is this usually looks like they're being distant or moody. So, most owners never realize they caused it. Now, here's something most people don't think about.
The damage from yelling doesn't just affect behavior. It changes how your cat experiences your home. And later in this video, I'm going to talk about how the environment you create around them can either heal that stress or make it so much worse.
But first, let's talk about something else you probably do every day without a second thought. Two, picking them up whenever you want. How many times a day do you pick up your cat just because you feel like it?
They're sitting there looking cute. You walk over, scoop them up, and hold them close. It feels like love.
But to your cat, it can feel like something completely different. When you pick a cat up without warning, you're taking away the one thing they value more than almost anything. control.
Cats are not wired like dogs. They don't find comfort in being grabbed and held. In fact, for many cats, being lifted off the ground triggers a stress response because in the wild, the only time their paws leave the ground is when a predator has them.
A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior found that cats who are frequently picked up by their owners showed higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, compared to cats whose owners let them initiate contact. That means every time you grab them for a quick cuddle, their body is quietly going into survival mode. And here's what makes it tricky.
Some cats tolerate it. They go limp. They don't scratch.
So, you assume they're fine. But tolerating something and enjoying it are two very different things. The fix is simple but powerful.
Let them come to you. Sit down, make yourself available, and wait. When a cat chooses to be close to you, that bond is 10 times stronger than anything you could force.
and you'll notice the difference almost immediately. And hey, before we jump into the next one, if this is already making you rethink a few things, hit like and subscribe so we can help more cat owners avoid these mistakes before it's too late. Three, where you keep their litter box.
Have you ever thought about why your cat sometimes refuses to use their litter box? You clean it, you buy the good litter, you do everything right, but what if the problem was never the box itself? What if it's where you put it?
Most owners stick the litter box in a basement, a closet, or a tucked away corner because, well, nobody wants to see it. But here's what you're not thinking about. When a cat uses the litter box, they are in one of the most vulnerable positions possible.
They can't run. They can't defend themselves, and they know it. Every instinct in their body is telling them to be on high alert.
So, when you place that box in a spot where they feel trapped, near a loud washing machine, behind a door that could close, or in a place with only one way out, you're asking them to do the one thing they can't do, relax. A study from the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery found that litter box location was one of the top three factors in feline elimination problems. Cats who had their boxes in quiet, open areas with more than one exit path showed significantly less stress related behavior than cats whose boxes were hidden away.
And when a cat starts avoiding the box, most owners think it's a behavioral issue. They get frustrated. They punish.
But the cat was never being difficult. They were being scared. The ideal setup is simple.
A low traffic area visible and easy to access with at least two ways to walk away from it. Give them that and you'll be surprised how fast the problem disappears. Four, giving them only dry food.
Do you fill up a bowl of dry food and call it a day? You're not alone. Most cat owners do exactly this because it's easy, it's cheap, and it seems like enough.
But what if that one simple habit was slowly causing damage you can't see yet? Here's the truth most people don't know. Cats are desert animals.
Their ancestors got almost all of their water from the prey they ate. That means cats are not naturally wired to drink enough water on their own. And dry food contains only about 10% moisture.
So when dry kibble is the only thing they eat, your cat is living in a state of chronic low-level dehydration every single day. Over time, this puts serious pressure on their kidneys and urinary tract. A study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery found that cats fed exclusively dry diets had significantly lower water intake and more concentrated urine, which directly increases the risk of kidney disease and urinary crystals.
These are some of the most common and most preventable health issues in cats. And here's what makes it heartbreaking. By the time you notice the symptoms, the damage has usually been building for years.
Your cat won't complain. They won't tell you something's wrong. they'll just quietly get sicker.
The fix doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Adding wet food to their diet, even just once a day, makes a massive difference. If you want the best option out there, Royal Cananan is the gold standard when it comes to quality and nutrition.
And if budget is a concern, Nulo is an excellent alternative that still delivers real hydration and solid ingredients without breaking the bank. Your cat's body was designed for moisture- richch food. giving them that is one of the easiest ways to add years to their life.
Five, playing with them using your hands. Be honest. Have you ever wiggled your fingers in front of your cat's face just to watch them go wild?
Maybe you let them bite your hand a little or wrestle with your arm because it's funny and they seem to love it, but do you know what you're actually training them to do? When you use your hands as toys, you're teaching your cat that human skin is something to hunt. And it might seem harmless when they're a kitten, but fast forward a few months and suddenly you've got a cat that attacks your hands every time you reach for them, not because they're aggressive, because you told them this is how the game works.
A study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior found that cats who are regularly engaged in hand players, kittens, were significantly more likely to develop persistent biting and scratching behaviors toward people into adulthood. And once that pattern is wired in, it's incredibly hard to undo. But here's the part that really hurts.
When the biting gets worse, most owners start pulling away. They stop playing altogether because they don't want to get scratched. So now your cat has learned two things.
Your hands are prey and also playtime is over for good. That combination leads to frustration, pent up energy, and even more aggressive outbursts. The solution is so simple it almost feels too easy.
Use a one toy, a feather on a string, anything that puts distance between your skin and their teeth. This gives them the full hunting experience they're craving without ever confusing your body for the target. You'll see calmer behavior, fewer scratches, and a cat that actually knows how to play with you safely.
Six, leaving them in a silent, empty room. What if the home you created to keep your cat safe is actually making them miserable? You keep things clean, quiet, and organized.
No clutter, no noise, everything in its place. Sounds like the perfect environment, right? For you, maybe for your cat, it can feel like a prison.
Cats are wired for stimulation. In the wild, their world is full of sounds, movement, vertical spaces, things to stalk, places to hide, and new smells every single day. So, when you strip all of that away and give them four walls, a couch, and silence, their brain has nothing to do.
And a bored cat is not a calm cat. A bored cat is a stressed cat. A study from applied animal behavior science found that cats living in environments with low enrichment showed significantly higher rates of anxiety, overgrooming, aggression, and withdrawal.
These are the same behaviors most owners blame on personality. Oh, she's just moody. He likes being alone.
No, your cat is under stimulated and has no way to tell you. And this is what we are building toward from the very beginning of this video. When you yell at your cat for acting out and then put them back into an environment with nothing to engage their brain, you're creating a cycle that feeds itself.
The stress causes the behavior and then the reaction to that behavior causes more stress. The environment isn't separate from the problem. It is the problem.
The good news, this is one of the most rewarding fixes you can make. Add vertical shelves, window perches, puzzle feeders, or even just leave a paper bag on the floor. Rotate their toys so there's always something new.
Play nature sounds or bird videos when you're not home. You don't have to turn your house into a jungle. You just have to make their world feel alive.
