16 Things that EMOTIONALLY Hurt Your Cat

Despite their reputation for aloofness, cats have delicate feelings.
In this video, we will talk about 16 surprising ways you could be hurting your cat's feelings.

Teasing
Pulling on your cat’s tail, blowing in their face, scaring them during a deep sleep, and cornering and picking them up against their will —such behaviors confuse and agitate your cat. Remember, what’s amusing to you is not always fun for your cat. One of the basic needs a cat has is to feel safe and secure in your home.
Neglecting them
Offering your cat no attention, no affection, no interaction, no conversation, and no playtime can leave your pet depressed.
Many people assume that cats are not social animals, but that is far from the truth. Cats benefit from interaction and affection from their human.
Calling them for something they don’t like
Cats get excited when you call them because they expect treats or rewards. When you call your pet when something unpleasant is about to happen, like being forced into a carrier to go to a vet, it can hurt their feelings.
Disturbing them while eating
It’s natural for cats to be on high alert if there is a lot of noise and activity around them during dinnertime. A loud and busy location may cause stress and keep cats from eating or force them to eat too quickly.
A calm and quiet space allows cats to chow down in peace.
Punishing them
Punishing cats does inform your pet that you are angry, but they’ll have no idea why. Fear will often make a cat’s behavior worse rather than better. Anger does not teach your cat to “behave,” it simply teaches them to be afraid of you.
A dirty litter box
Cats are very clean animals and they devote a large portion of their day towards self-grooming.
Cleaning your cat’s litter box every day will make for a happy cat.
Pushing them away
Cats are curious about their environment. This means your cat might be getting in the way of something, so you might feel compelled to push them away. Before you do, consider if you would like it if someone pushed you away just for wanting to be a part of something that interested you.
Instead of pushing your cat away, try gently redirecting them somewhere else.
Not Providing Mental Stimulation
A bored cat means a sad cat. Humans can do a lot of different things with their lives, but your cat is limited to the environment you provide them with. This means that it’s up to you to offer your cat things to do.
Cats need plenty of mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy.
And remember, it's best to adopt two cats at the same time. The two cats will grow together and feel less lonely.
Shouting
Raised voices will terrify your cat. Feline ears are extra sensitive to loud and high-pitched noises. They can perceive the person making these noises as a threat, and will begin to avoid them.
Skipping the small stuff
Never grooming your cat. Ignoring frequent hairballs, which can signal a digestive issue. Allowing their nails to grow too long that they snag them around the house. These are things that can harm your cat’s well-being. Remember, your cat is a living being that have basic needs to stay happy and healthy.
Ignoring their fears
Cats have a good reason for jumping and hiding whenever they hear a loud or startling sound. Our feline friends can hear sounds around 1.6 octaves higher than humans.
Common sounds such as the vacuum cleaner, videogames, fireworks, balloons, or loud TV cause stress and anxiety in cats. Make sure you are providing your cat with a calm, relaxed environment.
Forcing New Friendships
Most cats are reserved around strangers.
When you force your cat to interact with new people, you’re essentially disrespecting their feelings.
It’s always best to let your cat make new friends on their own. Don’t force them to interact.
Leaving old food out
Food that has gone bad is no better for your cat than it is for you. It can result in illnesses like food poisoning. Moreover, cats appreciate being served fresh food.
It could be part of their finicky personalities, or it could stem from an ancient instinct that protected their ancestors from eating rancid meat. Either way, cats feel appreciated and understood when their families respect their desire for fresh food.
Ignoring their pain
Cats don’t speak human language so it's often up to pet owners to decipher clues about their cat's condition based on physical and behavioral changes.
Whether because an infected tooth makes eating difficult or a urinary tract infection makes litter box visits painful, it is up to us to recognize the subtle signs and give them the help they need.
Declawing them
Declawing is torturous to cats. It would be akin to cutting off our fingers at the last knuckle, leading to pain and mobility issues.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, because scratching is an innate cat behavior, declawed cats can suffer from emotional stress when they cannot scratch.

[dakota]

I love my cats so much. Its breaking my heart thinking that I might have done something to hurt their feelings.

[GraupeLie]

Declawing is illegal in Germany and it baffles me that it's not illegal in the US. If you want a clawless cat, don't get a cat. As for the rest, I'd almost always recommend getting two cats, not only if you're in a small flat. Feline companionship and interaction is simply something a human cannot provide. I'm happy to say that I have two very happy cats, even though I have to get out the vacuum cleaner now and then (which one of my cats absolutely hates). Many of these things should be obvious, but apparently, they aren't - so it's good to put this out there and educate people...

[bereal]

Cats are amazing and people who genuinely love their cats tend to be empathetic people. Gaining love from a cat is very validating that you're a pretty decent person

[loraelizabetha]

16. calling them for something they don't like
15. teasing (against their will)
14. pushing them away
13. punishing them
12. leaving old food out
11. neglecting them
10. skipping the small stuff -- grooming & monitoring
9. disturbing them while eating
8. not providing mental stimulation
7. shouting
6. ignoring their fears
5. forcing new friendships
4. a dirty litter box
3. ignoring their pain
2. not cleaning the water or food dishes
1. declawing them

[donnamorrison]

I will never understand why people want to hurt animals

[JackMilde]

Declawing should actually be illegal. Not sure how any human with feelings would even conduct such a procedure and still live with themselves. My cat scratched my couches before, so I just got tight fitting covers to protect the couches. He scratched my TV, so I got a TV screen protector and placed another scratching post near the TV, so he'd go for that instead. Declawing is never the solution.

Edit: I live in the US, where the procedure is still legal in the vast majority of states. I'm aware that it can be necessary in the case of an infected nail bed or other medical condition, but that's a very particular exception.

[vialitha]

1:12 imagine an animal chooses to give it's attention to you. ❤️ When I am working at my desk and my fur baby comes over and walks right into my face, I know it's time to stop for a moment and appreciate her. ❤️ Who knows how much time is left... 🥺 Cats are amazing creatures. I am so grateful for my little red familiar. ❤️❤️❤️🐈

[tinameyers]

Whenever my son screams and giggles as I tickle him, my cat instantly runs over to him to make sure he’s okay. Super cute

[alicialow]

We need a 16 things a cat do that hurts our feelings 😂

[kirkistief]

My cat had a bad biting problem when she was a kitten. I think she might have been mistreated/traumatized and reacted negatively when hands were coming straight toward her head. She would legit bite, not just play bite. I took to approaching my hand from behind or from the side to pet her, and she responded positively. When I did get bit, I would make a cat-like yowl and just look right at her and she'd quit biting. Then I'd give her some space after. She hardly bites anymore and is way more trusting. When she does occasionally bite, it's way less aggressively. I still yowl when I'm bit, but it rarely happens and she gets this cute "I'm sorry, " look on her face. At least she stopped drawing blood. I shudder to think how her life would've been if she'd been adopted by someone less patient and understanding. It's not always the animals fault, and if you can help them discontinue the bad behavior, their lives will be better. I get snuggles and headbutts from her all the time and she really likes being in the same room with people, though not always close by them.

[KraftyKittenz]

Cats are a lesson in consent and an exercise in trust. My cat is ALWAYS RIGHT about you.

[BorisG]

People don’t understand how big of a responsibility having a cat is.
There are so many aspects to consider when deciding whether or not you want to have one under your care.

[Phirwohihua]

Calling for something they don’t like
Teasing, scaring them
Pushing them away
Grabbing, punishing
Leaving old food out
Neglecting them
Never grooming. Cutting nails. Brushing
Disturbing while eating. Yelling, playing loud music
Not providing mental stimulation
Try playing often
Shouting
Ignoring there fears
Force interactions
A dirty litter box
Ignoring their pain
Not cleaning food and water dishes
Declawing them

[aimeekiser]

This was very well done. It's a shame we can't make people watch this before they get an animal

[GabrielRM]

Didn't even know declawing was a thing until now, that's just plain horrible..

Cats are such amazing companions. If your good to them they'll feel safe around you and you'll realise how social and kind they are. It's all about respecting their boundaries as you should do with any other pet or person.

[christiansaravia]

I can’t imagine ignoring my cats or shoving them aside I have two and I love holding them, cuddling them, kissing them, meowing back at them, playing with toys with them, and letting them sleep close to me on the bed! They’re my little buddies and make me so happy.

[melstiller]

Cats ARE very sensitive beings. I'm so fortunate to be visited every night by a beautiful cat from across the street. Peach (that's his name) comes to visit me solely to interact with me and lay on my tummy for a long while. He makes me infinitely happy; and he knows it. That's why he does it. 🥰🐈

[jbayne]

Like how this video calls out things we do and shouldn't and explains why. Glad someone has said it - thanks from all cats

[oatlord]

Understanding and developing a close bond with a cat is an accomplishment imo. Takes work and empathy.

[amya]

I used to work in a cat-specific pet business; this information is so simple yet so many people don't understand. I stand behind every point in this video thank you for giving out important information in such a judgement-free way!