According to animal behaviorists, some of your most normal everyday habits are quietly hurting your cat. But do you actually know which ones? That's the scary part.
Most of them feel completely harmless. And if you keep doing them, which almost every cat owner does, you could be slowly breaking your cat's trust, their health, and their sense of safety in their own home. Here are six everyday things that hurt your cat way more than you think.
One, screaming at them when they mess up. Have you ever caught your cat knocking something off the counter and immediately yelled their name? Be honest.
[music] Most of us have done it. It feels like the right response in the moment. But here's what's actually happening inside your cat's brain when you raise your voice.
Cats don't process cause and effect the way we do. A 2021 study from the Journal of Veterinary Behavior found that cats who were regularly yelled at showed significantly higher levels of chronic stress and were more likely to develop behavioral problems like hiding, aggression, and even litter box avoidance. They're not learning, I shouldn't do that.
They're learning this person is unpredictable and unsafe. And that's the part that breaks my heart because you're not trying to hurt them. You're just reacting.
But your cat doesn't understand your intention. All they register is the volume, the tone, and the energy. And over time, that doesn't correct behavior.
It quietly destroys the bond between you two. Think about it. If every time you walked into a room, someone randomly screamed at you, how long before you stopped wanting to be around them?
That's exactly what your cat feels. And if you think that's hard to hear, wait until we get to the last one on this list. because there's one thing almost every owner does out of love that might actually be doing the most damage of all.
Two, never letting them hunt or chase. When was the last time your cat actually chased something? And no, staring at a fly from across the room doesn't count.
Most indoor cats go days, sometimes weeks, without a single real hunting experience. And we don't even realize it because they look fine, but they're not fine. Cats are hardwired predators.
Their entire brain is built around the hunting sequence. Stalk, chase, pounce, catch, kill, eat. When that cycle never gets activated, something starts breaking down on the inside.
A study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery found that cats without regular play stimulation showed increased rates of obesity, aggression, overgrooming, and depression-like symptoms. So, that cat who just sleeps all day and seems lowmaintenance, there's a good chance they've just given [music] up. They're not lazy.
They're mentally starving. And the fix isn't complicated. Just 10 to 15 minutes a day of interactive play with a one toy.
Something that mimics real prey movement can completely transform your cat's mood, energy, and connection with you. You'll start seeing a cat you didn't even know was in there. And before we jump to the next one, if this is making you rethink how you treat your cat, hit like and subscribe.
It's the best way to help other cat owners see this, too. Three. only feeding them dry kibble.
What if the food you've been giving your cat every single day is slowly dehydrating them from the inside out? Sounds dramatic, but it's not. Here's something most people don't know.
Cats are desert animals. Their ancestors evolved to get almost all of their water from the prey they ate. That means your cat's natural instinct to drink water on their own is extremely low.
They're just [music] not built for it. So, when their entire diet is dry kibble, which contains about 10% moisture, they're living in a state of chronic low-level dehydration, and most owners never notice. A study from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that cats on dry only diets had significantly lower total water intake compared to cats eating wet food, even when fresh water was freely available.
Over time, that chronic dehydration puts serious pressure on their kidneys and urinary tract. It's one of the leading contributors to kidney disease in cats, which is the number one cause of death in older cats. And the frustrating part, it's so easy to prevent.
You don't have to throw out the kibble entirely. Even mixing in some wet food a few times a week makes a massive difference. You're basically giving their kidneys a fighting chance just by changing one meal.
Four, petting them in all the wrong spots. Ever been petting your cat and out of nowhere they bite you and you're sitting there like, "What did I do? " [music] Well, you probably touch the wrong button.
Most owners pet their cats the same way they'd pet a dog. Long strokes down the back, belly rubs, grabbing their tail area. And with dogs, that works great.
But cats are wired completely differently. Their skin is loaded with nerve endings that go from pleasant to overstimulated in seconds. It's [music] called petting, induced over stimulation, and it's one of the most misunderstood things in cat behavior.
A study from the University of Lincoln found that cats showed the lowest stress responses when [music] touched around the cheeks, the base of their ears, and under the chin. But when owners focused on [music] the belly or the base of the tail, stress hormone spiked almost immediately. So that belly your cat shows you, it's not an invitation, [music] it's actually a sign of trust.
And when you go in for the rub, you're betraying the exact trust they just offered you. That's why some cats seem hot and cold. One minute they're all over you, the next they're running away.
It's not random. They were trying to enjoy the moment, and you accidentally overwhelmed their nervous system without knowing it. The fix is simple.
[music] Stick to the safe zones. Slow, gentle strokes around the head and cheeks. Let them lean into you.
And the moment you see their tail start flicking or their ears flatten, [music] stop. That's their way of saying, "I love you, but that's enough. " Respect it [music] and watch how much longer they stay next to you.
Five, hiding the litter box in a corner. Where is your cat's litter box right now? Be [music] honest.
Is it tucked away in a basement, shoved behind the washing machine, or crammed into some dark closet? If it is, you might be the reason your cat is stressed every time they need to go. We hide litter boxes because we don't want to see them or smell them.
makes sense from a human perspective, [music] but from your cat's perspective, you just put their bathroom in the scariest spot in the house. [music] Cats are both predators and prey. That means every time they use the litter box, they're in one of their most vulnerable positions.
[music] They need to feel like they can see what's coming and escape if they need to. A box shoved in a tight, dark corner with only one way out goes against every survival instinct they have. Research in applied animal behavior science found that litter box placement and accessibility were among the top factors linked to elimination problems in cats.
That means if your cat has been peeing outside the box, [music] there's a real chance it's not a behavior problem at all. It's a location problem. They're not being difficult, they're scared.
And here's the other mistake people make. One cat, one box. Behaviorists recommend the n + one rule.
That means one box per cat plus one extra. [music] So, if you have two cats, you need three boxes in different areas of the house. It gives them options and reduces territorial tension.
Six, leaving them alone way too long. [music] Remember earlier when I said there's one thing almost every owner does out of love that might be doing the most damage? [music] This is it.
There's this myth that cats don't care if you're gone, that they're independent, self-sufficient, and honestly couldn't care less whether you walk through that door or not. It's one of the biggest lies in pet culture and it's hurting millions of cats every single day. A 2020 study published in Current Biology found that cats form genuine attachment bonds with their owners, similar to the bonds dogs and even human infants form with their caregivers.
When researchers separated cats from their owners and then reunited them, the cats showed clear signs of secure or insecure attachment depending on the quality of the relationship. This isn't opinion. This is science.
So when you leave for 10, 12 hours a day and come home to a cat that seems fine, they might not be fine at all. Cats who experience prolonged isolation can develop anxiety, depression, overgrooming, appetite changes, and even litter box problems. They just suffer in silence because that's what cats do.
They don't bark at the door. They don't destroy your shoes. [music] They withdraw.
And that silence tricks us into thinking everything's okay. The truth is, your cat waits for you. They notice when you're gone, and they feel it more than they'll ever show.
You don't need to be home 24/7. But small things matter. Leave enrichment out before you go.
Rotate toys. Create window perches so they can watch the world. And when you come home, don't just walk past them.
Sit down. Be present. Give them 5 minutes of real connection.
Because to your cat, you're not just their owner. You're their entire world. And they just want to know you're coming back.
