We've noticed similar behavior [connected with understimulation] with our humans. To help we have added some excitement to their days by peeing over the edge of the litter box. About once a day seems to be the right cadence.
- Annie and Jack
Dear Annie and Jack,
You are onto something important there: the principle of the counterirritant. The idea of a counterirritant is that you apply some mild and superficial irritant, which distracts from and helps relieve the deeper and more painful malaise that the human may be feeling. As you have observed, it can be very effective.
However, there is another principle of human behavior to watch out for: the principle of the last straw. The idea of the last straw is that a human will seem to be coping perfectly well with an increasingly large burden of stress and then suddenly lose control over a single small additional stress. The relationship of that small additional stress to the large pre-existing stress load is likely to be minimal. Thus cats--who bear no responsibility for the health and job stresses the humans are facing just now--are not as safe from creating the last straw as you might think.
So which one are you likely to provoke, the counterirritant response or the last straw response? Careful consideration and the accumulated wisdom of years' of acquaintance with your individual humans may be needed to make the right call. Cats who are newer to residing with their humans may want to take extra naps instead of taking a risk here.
- Thera
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| Consider carefully before you act... |
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| or just go take another nap. |
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