DM4 Pt1-3 Stress & Behaviour

Question 1

What is stress and how does it affect an animal?

Answer 1

Stress is an internal state, either physiological, emotional, or both, which causes physical changes and behavioral responses to maintain safety or avoid threats.

Question 2

What are the main body systems regulating physiological stress?

Answer 2

The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system.

Question 3

How does the HPA axis respond to stress?

Answer 3

It controls neural, endocrine, and immune responses by releasing CRH, AVP, ACTH, prolactin, and growth hormone.

Question 4

What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system during stress?

Answer 4

It stimulates the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline and noradrenaline, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose for the fight or flight response.

Question 5

What is the role of adrenaline in stress?

Answer 5

Adrenaline increases heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels to prepare the individual for a challenge, known as the fight or flight response.

Question 6

What is the locus coeruleus and its function in stress?

Answer 6

The locus coeruleus, located in the brain stem, secretes noradrenaline and stimulates brain centers to alter cognitive function, arousal, vigilance, and motivation.

Question 7

What is the effect of chronic stress on health?

Answer 7

Chronic stress causes ongoing cortisol release, leading to physiological derangements and health problems, both physical and mental.

Question 8

How do genetic and environmental factors influence stress responses?

Answer 8

Both genetic predispositions and environmental conditions, such as early experiences and maternal care, affect an individual’s ability to cope with stress.

Question 9

What factors during a cat’s early development can impair stress-response systems?

Answer 9

Stress during pregnancy, poor maternal nutrition, constant stressors, lack of autonomy for the mother, inadequate maternal care, and lack of socialization.

Question 10

What is the difference between acute and chronic stress?

Answer 10

Acute stress is a single exposure to a challenge, allowing adaptation and recovery. Chronic stress occurs when homeostasis isn’t restored, leading to health issues.

Question 11

What happens if a cat’s stress-response systems are impaired early in life?

Answer 11

The cat may develop non-adaptive coping strategies, lowered emotional capacity, and increased emotional overreactivity, leading to behavioral problems.

Question 12

What is the acute stress response commonly referred to as?

Answer 12

The fight or flight response.

Question 13

What are common behavioral signs of acute stress in cats?

Answer 13

Crouched body, shaking, belly low to the ground, rapid breathing, legs bent or tucked, tail close to body, head lower than body, motionless, fully open eyes, fully dilated pupils, ears flattened back, whiskers pulled back, plaintive vocalizations (miaow, growl), hissing, growling, drooling, aggression.

Question 14

What are signs of stress involving a cat’s body posture?

Answer 14

Crouched body, legs bent or tucked, head lower than the body, belly close to the ground, rapid breathing, tail close to the body.

Question 15

How do cats’ eyes and pupils appear when they are stressed?

Answer 15

Eyes are fully open and pupils are fully dilated.

Question 16

What vocalizations might indicate acute stress in a cat?

Answer 16

Plaintive miaows, yowling, growling, or silence.

Question 17

What physical reactions may occur in cats during acute stress?

Answer 17

Shaking, drooling, involuntary urination or defecation, hissing, and aggression if approached.

Question 18

How might acute stress manifest as aggression in cats?

Answer 18

Aggression may appear if the stressor continues or approaches the cat.

Question 19

What is chronic intermittent stress?

Answer 19

A single exposure repeated over a long period, such as restraint by humans or social conflict in multi-cat households, potentially leading to chronic stress.

Question 20

What is chronic stress in cats?

Answer 20

Chronic stress results from long-term exposure to unavoidable stressors, where a cat’s autonomy is threatened, and they lose control over their territory or resources.

Question 21

What happens to a cat under long-term chronic stress?

Answer 21

Chronic stress depletes noradrenaline in the locus coeruleus, potentially causing depression. It also alters immune responses, suppresses or exacerbates immune-mediated diseases, and contributes to conditions like FIC, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

Question 22

How does chronic stress affect a cat’s immune system?

Answer 22

It alters immune responses, either suppressing the immune system or exacerbating immune-mediated diseases, allergies, and increases the risk of infections and some cancers.

Question 23

What health conditions can be triggered or worsened by chronic stress in cats?

Answer 23

Chronic stress can worsen feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, bacterial infections, and even lead to cancer.

Question 24

What are common behavioral signs of chronic stress in cats?

Answer 24

Inhibition of feeding, grooming, urination, and defecation; over-eating; increased resting or feigned sleep; hiding; increased dependency or social withdrawal; defensive aggression; extreme vigilance; lack of play activity; house soiling; over-grooming; pica; displacement activity; redirected aggression.

Question 25

How can feeding and grooming behaviors change in a chronically stressed cat?

Answer 25

A chronically stressed cat may inhibit feeding or grooming, or may over-eat and over-groom, depending on their personality type.

Question 26

What changes in social behavior are seen in cats with chronic stress?

Answer 26

Chronically stressed cats may exhibit increased dependency on humans or other pets, or they may withdraw socially. They might also show defensive aggression toward people, cats, or other pets.

Question 27

How does chronic stress affect play and activity in cats?

Answer 27

Cats with chronic stress often exhibit a lack of play activity and may spend more time resting, hiding, or feigning sleep.

Question 28

What is displacement activity in cats?

Answer 28

Displacement activity refers to apparently out-of-context behaviors that can be repetitive in extreme situations, possibly leading to stereotypical behaviors.

Question 29

What changes in behavior patterns indicate chronic stress in cats?

Answer 29

Changes in patterns of behavior include spending more time indoors or outdoors regardless of seasonal changes, house soiling, increased facial rubbing, and ambivalent behavior (e.g., approach/withdraw).

Question 30

What is redirected aggression in cats?

Answer 30

Redirected aggression occurs when a cat redirects its aggressive behavior from one target (e.g., another cat or stressor) to a different, often inappropriate, target like a person or pet.

Question 31

How can chronic stress affect maternal and sexual behaviors in cats?

Answer 31

Chronic stress can cause abnormal behavior in queens toward their kittens and abnormal sexual behaviors, such as masturbation.

Question 32

What is adaptive behavior in cats?

Answer 32

Adaptive behavior is a normal and proportionate response to a stimulus that benefits the cat’s well-being and helps it cope with challenges appropriately.

Question 33

What is maladaptive behavior in cats?

Answer 33

Maladaptive behavior is an abnormal or disproportionate response to a stimulus, often leading to prolonged emotional or physical consequences, and is detrimental to the cat’s well-being.

Question 34

What are examples of maladaptive behaviors in cats due to chronic stress?

Answer 34

Examples include over-grooming, pica, displacement activity, redirected aggression, abnormal maternal behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior.