Signs your kitty may be depressed

Hello friends. I apologize that I have been unable to motivate my furry behind to tap an article for all of you. I've been going through the ups and downs of life. Everything is fine, I'm still fat and my diabetes is in check. However; my two furbros have been picking on me a lot lately and my mom works too much. I find myself feeling very sad and alone. Then I started to wonder if there were other kitties out there that where feeling sad as well. The humans are starting to get into the Christmas spirit, which makes them happy. But while you are feeling joy, your cat might be miserable. 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 one, abuse, medications, to a new job. But did you know that your kitty can get depressed too? A cat behaviourist 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 such as myself) and spending most of one’s time sleeping. This is a normal life for a cat so how can you, the concerned human, determine if your kitty is acting normal or if he or she is depressed?

Just like humans, we have bad days too. You probably know when your cat is having a down day. They may not be acting like their usual self or maybe they look more sad than usual. 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 Your Kitty 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 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 from whatever is bothering them. 

My name is Indigo aka Indy and I'm the WeightLossCat. You can read my musings about weight and everything in between on my blog www.weightlosscat.com. Also be sure to follow me on www.twitter.com/weightlosscat and like me on www.facebook.com/weightlosscat.

Till the next time, be safe,

Indy

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