By Patience Fisher
© Can Stock Photo Inc./tadija
People often assume their cats are fine because they are not doing anything to upset the people in the home. Cats avoid broadcasting stress—in terms of survival, showing weakness could be fatal and result in them being preyed upon. We see this when medical problems remain hidden for weeks as the cat quietly copes. In the same vein, cats will often cope with stress caused by environmental factors. Cats in over-crowded conditions, or with too few litter boxes, poorly placed litter boxes, too few hiding places or not enough vertical space may cope for a time. They may reliably use the litter box, not be aggressive, and not upset the people in the house. However, this coping may deplete their ability to cope with additional stressors. Read more.