Country cats feel just as stressed and moody as their city-dwelling cousins, according to new university research.

The study by Southampton University has discovered 80% cent of moggies in the Eastleigh area of Southampton have signs of stress.

Dr Rachel Casey, who led the research, also found cats living in the Devon countryside were just as stressed as those in Eastleigh.

Owners can tell if their cats are feeling uptight by watching out for behaviour such as biting, scratching and spraying urine around the house to mark out territory.

It has made professors paws for thought

Dr Rachel Casey, Southampton University

Ways to calm your pet down include stroking, playing with them and plugging in a special diffuser that releases cat-friendly pheromones into the air.

The results are surprising as pets were believed to have a relaxing influence on their owners.

Dr Casey said: "These results go against the grain of previous research which shows that cat owners are less likely to have heart attacks or suffer stress themselves."

Ann Widdecombe MP, patron of Cats Protection (formerly the Cats Protection League), joined Dr Casey to visit cats in Eastleigh and test out the findings on the BBC South edition of Inside Out.