16 Things That Emotionally Hurt Your Cat

Forcing them into new interactions
Most cats are reserved around strangers. They aren’t particularly confident and prefer to make introductions at their own pace. When you force your cat to interact with new people, you’re disrespecting their feelings. It’s always best to let your cat make new friends at their own pace. Don’t force them to interact, and tell others to respect their space and feelings.

Leaving the Litter Box Dirty
Using a dirty bathroom is never a pleasant experience, and it shouldn’t be surprising if your cat feels the same way about their litter box. Cats are very clean animals and spend a large part of their day grooming themselves. If their litter box isn’t clean enough, cats may decide to relieve themselves outside of their litter box. Cleaning your cat’s litter box every day will make your cat happy and show them that you understand and respect their needs.

Ignoring Their Pain
Cats don’t speak human language, so pet owners often need to decode clues about their cat’s condition based on physical and behavioral changes. Whether it’s an infected tooth that’s making eating difficult or a urinary tract infection that makes litter box visits painful, it’s up to us to recognize the subtle signs and get them the help they need.

Monitoring your pet’s well-being means being a pain detective so you know if something is hurting your cat.

Not cleaning food or water bowls
Cats need fresh food and clean water every day. Forcing your cat to drink from a dirty bowl will make them upset, anxious, and stressed. It can also lead to health problems due to harmful bacteria that can grow in their bowl. The same goes for their food bowl.

Declawing
Declawing a cat is cruel. It’s like cutting off the last phalanx of your fingers, causing pain and mobility issues. It can even make your pet feel vulnerable or defenseless. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, since scratching is an innate cat behavior, declawed cats can suffer emotional stress when they can’t scratch. It’s unrealistic and inappropriate to try to stop your feline from engaging in its natural behavior.