Is Your Cat Suffering from Depression?

Animals can become depressed and experience grief just like humans can. Even household pets like cats, can feel sad and depressed. And, there are several reasons and causes for cat depression, so identifying symptoms of depression and diagnosing the cause can prove to be difficult.

Photo by: Bill S

Symptoms of Cat Depression

If you can answer yes to any combination of the questions below, your cat may be experiencing depression or grief:

1. Is your cat sleeping more and playing less than normal?
2. Does your cat bite and scratch familiar family members and friends without reason??
3. Is your cat not eating food?
4. Does your cat hide or spend time alone away from members of the household?
5. Has your cat stopped using the litter box and started having accidents throughout the house?

Causes of Depression in Cats

Several things can cause depression in household pets. The following are just a few common causes

1. Losing a friend – If someone of the household has moved or passed away, your cat may not be able to cope with the loss. They may miss the companionship and not understand why that person is now missing.

2. Moving to a new place – If you’ve recently moved to a new Fresno home, your cat may not be used to it’s new surroundings yet. It may not have had time to adjust and explore it’s new environment.

3. New additions to the family – When a new baby is introduced to a household, it typically becomes the center of attention. Your cat may be feeling neglected. With the new baby you may not have time to spend with it or restrict it’s movements in the house where it once had free reign.

4. If you’re feeling sad – Your cat will pick up on your emotions. If you are feeling depressed, your cat will most likely emulate your feelings.

5. Changes in routine – A change in your routine can throw off your cat’s emotions. When you start a new job with different hours, your cat has to get used to the change. It may expect you home at a certain time and if you’re not there, it may feel neglected.

6. Distemper – This can be a fatal illness in cats. It can cause depression, diarrhea and vomiting and must be treated by a vet immediately. You can prevent this illness with immunizations.

Photo by: sausyn

How to Treat Your Cat’s Depression

For the most part, the depression your cat is suffering from can be treated at home. Below are a few ways you can lighten your cat’s mood:

For loneliness – If you think your cat’s depression is caused by loneliness, consider getting another pet for it to play with. Another cat or dog that’s good with cats would be a nice addition to the household.

For feelings of neglect – Spend quality time with your cat. Groom, brush and play with it whenever you can find time during your day.

For frustration – If you’ve moved from a house to an apartment, and your cat doesn’t have as much space to move around, invest in some toys and a scratching post for it to play with. And, make sure there’s space for it to sit by the window and watch other animals and things going on outside.

If symptoms worsen and your cat refuses to eat for long periods of time, you need to take your cat to the vet because it may be having other cat health problems and require medication.

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