KUALA LUMPUR: Johan Eskandar Mohamad Najib used to enjoy dressing up his feline pets in different outfits and accessories.
But one day, he realised that dressing up his furry friends was causing them stress and even trauma, and vowed not to do so anymore.
According to experts, pet owners should refrain from dressing up their cats as it can elevate their anxiety levels, which will make them more susceptible to life-threatening illnesses.
To put it simply, both costumes and accessories restrict their natural movements and make them less capable of expressing normal behaviour.
Sharing his experience, Johan Eskandar said he used to be drawn to clothes and accessories sold in pet stores or online shops as he knew his cats would look cute in them.
“One day, however, I noticed one of my cats just froze and looked gloomy when I tried to dress it up.
“After further examination, I found that some of my cats did seem uncomfortable and even stressed when I adorned them with ornaments and accessories even though they looked cute in my eyes,” he told Bernama.Johan Eskandar, 31, who owns 30 cats including breeds such as Scottish Fold, British Fold, Maine Coon, Selkirk Rex, Cornish Rex, Munchkin, American Bobtail, Sacred Birman and Sphynx, said that he was fortunately able to sense his cats’ discomfort in the early stages.
Even wearing a cat collar can cause stress to the animals, he said.
“The cat collar itself can pose a danger if it is not put on properly. If you have to put one on your pet, make sure you can place a finger between its neck and the collar to ensure it is not too tight and does not suffocate the cat.”
Kitty’s Care Animal Clinic and Surgery founder Dr Muhammad Naim Md Kasim said domesticated animals such as cats can feel stressed when humans disrupt their normal behaviour.
“Humans like the idea of their cats adapting to their lives. For example, they put mittens on their cats’ paws and find it cute. However, cats need to sharpen their claws as that is their normal behaviour,” he said.
Among the factors contributing to stress in cats are changes in their food and litter boxes or introducing a new cat into their environment.
“When a cat is stressed, it will even be afraid to urinate, especially when there is a change in the type of litter used. Some cats may withhold urination but others may protest by urinating outside the litter box.
“Stress can result in different physiological responses in cats, subsequently causing their immune system to weaken,” he said.
“When this happens, cats become more vulnerable to developing life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney stones and diabetes,” he added.
Nurul Ain Abd Hamid, who owns S.I Shelter in Shah Alam, said many of the new arrivals at her animal shelter developed kidney stones due to the stress of being holed up in new surroundings.
“The easiest way to tell if a cat is stressed is by observing its fur: if a cat is not stressed, its fur will not be spiky, nor will the cat shed a lot when held,” she said.
