STRESS is the Bubonic Plague of the 21st century. It seems to be everywhere and affect everybody.

And it seems to be catching.

Young veterinary surgeons are stressed because of long working hours and the huge expectations of the pet owning public. Veterinary nurses are stressed due to their need to multi task and their anxious concerns over their patients.

And I’m stressed because they’re stressed.

In my rare, idle, philosophical moments, I have surmised how very pleasant it would be to come back, in my next life, as a cat.

In doing so I have been able to cast aside my subconscious reservations about the fact that most are neutered and, instead, been able to dream about what a stress free existence they seem to lead.

Your favourite dinner, hand served, in your own plate, every night. No washing up to do after, save, of course a furtive lick of the lips and some final grooming before departing elegantly through the cat flap for a night on the tiles.

On cold winter days, a lazy time lounging gracefully by the radiator or lying stretched out, being stroked by the lady of the house. In summer time, the thrill of the chase as sparrows and blue tits gather by the bird table. Ah yes, I can dream. I can dream.

But actually, researchers at the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies have shattered my illusions. It would appear that there is very strong evidence to show that cats can readily develop stress related illnesses during difficult periods in their life.

Just like us, they can be affected by moving house, the arrival or departure of a family member and by fear of strangers.

The most common cause of stress for cats, however, is when they don’t get on with other felines living in the house, making me think, in my rare, idle philosophical moments, that cats may well be the reincarnation of veterinary nurses. But back to reality. The team at the Dick Vet Animal Hospital studied a large number of cats that had bladder disease with no obvious cause and compared them with normal cats.

The bladder cats were much more anxious and stressed than the healthy animals. Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, senior lecturer in feline medicine, commented: “Feline bladder disease is frustrating for vets and owners, as most cases have no apparent cause and are categorised as feline idiopathic cystitis.

We concluded that stress was a significant factor in the development of this disease, and we will be carrying out further studies to see how best this and other stress factors can be overcome”.

The supposition is that stressed cats release adrenaline, causing the classic fight, fright and flight reaction but this is frustrated by a lack of suitable outlet. This suggestion would certainly be borne out by the experience of vets in practice. Compared to 10 years ago, we are seeing far less cats with classic bacterial cystitis and, instead, are finding cats with painful bladder conditions that are resistant to treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

Their urinary problems are often recurrent and long-lasting. Now that’s stressful.