Which Cat-Care Practices Are Actually Causing Pain to Your Cat?

o many people, raising a cat feels like a “one-way healing process of giving”—we provide food and shelter, and in return, we get their companionship and affection. But in reality, cats’ natural instinct to endure often makes their suffering go unnoticed: the stiff body when forced into a hug, the flattened ears at high-pitched noises, the silent tolerance of disliked food… Many actions that seem “loving” are actually bringing invisible stress or even harm to cats.

Frequent Bathing is one of the most common cases of “good intentions gone wrong.” A cat’s skin oil layer is much thinner than a human’s; frequent bathing disrupts this natural protective barrier, leading to dryness, itching, or even hair loss. More importantly, for most cats, water triggers extreme panic—wild cats never voluntarily enter deep water, and getting wet robs them of their ability to regulate body temperature and escape danger, a fear etched into their genes. Many owners bathe their cats monthly or even weekly to “keep them clean,” unaware that their cats are having a stress response: rapid breathing, dilated pupils during the bath, and hiding in a corner to lick themselves for hours afterward. Healthy short-haired cats only need a bath every six months; long-haired cats, once a month. Daily cleaning with pet wipes is sufficient.

Forced Interaction is another form of hidden harm. The pleasure of “petting a cat” often belongs to humans, not the cat—holding it tightly to rub its face, pulling its tail, or chasing it to pet even when it clearly dodges all ignore its “refusal signals.” Cats express dissatisfaction subtly: a rapidly swishing tail, ears flattened backward, or a gentle paw push—these all mean “please stop.” For timid cats especially, forced interaction can cause long-term anxiety, leading to stress behaviors like over-grooming (licking patches of fur bald) or inappropriate urination. Truly respecting a cat means “letting it choose”: interact only when it rubs against you voluntarily, and stop immediately at the first sign of resistance, giving it enough “alone time.”

Incorrect Dietary Habits are quietly damaging cats’ health. Many people assume “cats love fish” and feed them boiled fish long-term, or share human leftovers, thinking “as long as there’s meat, it’s fine.” But excessive fish can cause vitamin B1 deficiency in cats, leading to neurological issues. Ingredients like salt, onions, and garlic in human food damage their kidneys and red blood cells. Even more dangerous is “unlimited feeding”—some owners think “chubby cats are cute” and let them eat until they’re stuffed, unaware that obesity shortens cats’ lifespans by 3–5 years and causes diabetes or arthritis. Scientific feeding means “fixed times and portions,” choosing nutritionally balanced cat food, with occasional supplements like boiled chicken breast or pumpkin, and avoiding the “spoiling” of human food.

Unscientific “Punitive Training” destroys a cat’s sense of security. When a cat scratches the sofa or knocks over a cup, many owners scold, hit, or even spray water to scare it. But a cat’s brain can’t grasp “cause and effect”—it only associates “being hit” with “the owner’s anger,” not with “scratching the sofa.” Cats punished long-term become timid and sensitive, hiding from their owners or even engaging in “retaliatory urination”—peeing on your bed to express anxiety. The right approach is “positive reinforcement”: put catnip on the scratching post to attract it, and reward treats when it uses it; clean up messes calmly to avoid scaring it with anger. Cats need to be “taught what to do,” not “blamed for doing wrong.”

Ignoring a Cat’s “Mental Needs” causes chronic suffering. Cats are highly territorial; sudden changes to furniture, new pets, or family members can stress them. Some owners, busy with work, keep cats caged alone or rarely play with them, not noticing their cats cope with anxiety through abnormal behaviors like “chewing wall plaster” or “licking plastic.” Even more hidden is “environmental monotony”—a cat facing an empty room daily, with no cat tree to climb or scratching post to use, will gradually lose energy and become depressed. Providing “vertical spaces” (cat trees, windowsills), playing with a feather wand for 10 minutes regularly, or even placing a bird feeder by the window for it to “watch birds” can satisfy its hunting instincts and curiosity.

Incorrect Litter Box Use causes both physical and mental pain for cats. A too-small litter box leaves them getting feces on their fur when turning around; dirty litter makes them hold their urine rather than use it—long-term 憋尿 can lead to cystitis or urinary stones. Some owners place litter boxes near noisy washers, doorways, or too close to food bowls (cats won’t defecate where they eat), all causing “toilet anxiety.” The right steps: use a litter box at least 1.5 times the cat’s body length, clean feces daily and fully replace litter weekly; place it in a quiet, ventilated corner, far from food. Multi-cat households should follow the “n+1 rule” (n = number of cats) to avoid stress from “fighting over the toilet.”

Cats’ suffering is easy to overlook because they’re masters of “endurance.” In the wild, showing weakness is seen as “vulnerability” and invites danger, so even when sick or injured, they try to act normal. As owners, we need to “read the silent signals”: sudden loss of appetite, hiding away, or excessive licking of one area—these may be cries for help saying “I’m not okay.”

The essence of loving a cat is “thinking from its perspective”—not “what I want to give it,” but “what it truly needs.” When we let go of human assumptions and respect their nature and feelings, cats can truly feel comfortable in our love.

Chances are, many cat owners have had “hindsight” moments: realizing their cat hates being held and switching to “petting only”; noticing too many treats and switching to timed portions; or buying a cat tree that finally stops it from chewing the sofa… What “unintentional harm” have you caused your cat, and how did you correct it? Share in the comments to help more people learn to “love cats the right way”!