Is My Cat Depressed?

It is estimated that over 17 million Americans are suffering from some form of depression. Causes for depression vary from the death of a loved, abuse, medications, to a new job. But did you know that your cat can get depressed as well? Cat behaviorist recently discovered in the 90’s that cats do get and can suffer from depression. Feline depression is hard to notice because much of a cat’s life is spent in what humans would consider to be a depressed lifestyle. The lifestyle of sitting around all day (especially true for an indoor cat) and spending most of ones time sleeping. This is a normal life for a cat so how can you determine if your kitty is acting normal or if he or she is depressed? Is my cat depressed?

Just like humans, cats can have bad days. You probably know when your cat is having a down day. They may not be acting like their usual self or maybe they look sad. This could be a one-time occurrence because you moved a piece of furniture that they were used to having in a certain spot or it could be something else. Being blue once in a while is normal, even in a cat, however, consistent days spent being blue could be a sign that your kitty is depressed.

Signs That Your Cat May Be Depressed

• Changes in behavior such as once outgoing now spent in hiding.
• Lack of interest in grooming themselves.
• Sleeping more and/or having less energy than usual.
• Stops going to the litter box and/or starting to spray.
• Not as interested in food they used to like.
• Meowing or crying more often.
• Seems to be more angry such as biting and hissing more.

Although these signs can be used to diagnose kitty depression the signs could mean something else entirely. It is always a good idea to take take your cat to a veterinarian as soon as your notice something out of the ordinary. The quicker your kitty is looked at the better they will be able to recover.